The Road
by DareRelaqz
Summary: Annabeth Chase is a prodigal solo artist who seems destined for greatness. She gets the offer of a lifetime, but with a twist: Record an album and go on a tour with new band mates. Determined not to attach to anyone since the day she left her old friends, how will Annabeth face the challenges that are imminent for her?
1. Chapter 1

**THE ROAD - CHAPTER ONE**

_Annabeth_

Annabeth Chase has always loved music. From a young age, it's what she wanted to do for her entire life. As soon as she sang, danced, or picked up an instrument, she knew. Even when she was a little girl, she just _knew_. She was incredibly lucky too - it all managed to work out for her.

When the young blonde turned 21, her dream started becoming a reality. With the help of her two best friends, Luke Castellan and Thalia Grace, they played music. There was no real incentive in it for the couple, but for Annabeth, whenever she stepped up to the stage of the small bars and clubs they gigged in, she felt like she had the world to impress. And so she did.

The first few shows were insignificant to others. They just did them for fun. Their little group wasn't even earning any money off of this either, doing it fully out of their love for music.

Their 'band' got noticed and signed on to play a few more shows. People started taking notes. Videos of their performances surfaced online, scouts started showing up and the press asked questions. And being the front of the group, Annabeth got all the praise - her grace, her work ethic, her passion, even her looks. It filled her stomach with butterflies whenever she heard her name mentioned or if someone recognized her on the street and asked for an autograph and a picture. It was a shift. She was no longer a normal teenager. She was something now. She had a future, as uncertain as it may be in the music industry, she had the option. A small window opened.

Then one night, a year later, life changed.

"Annabeth" the blonde heard her name called from behind her. Her long time vocal coach and mentor, Mr. Brunner, rolled closer on his wheelchair.

"Hey, Mr. Brunner" she replied with a smile and sighed.

"Butterflies?" he asked.

"Yeah" Annabeth nodded in confirmation.

"Listen, there's-"

"Come on, Annabeth!" Luke's voice disrupted the conversation. "Sorry to interrupt, but we're going on, like, right now" he said after he noticed Mr. Brunner.

"Just a second" she called over her shoulder and looked to her teacher, "What were you saying?"

"It's okay, unimportant for now. Go up there and give it your best." He said and offered a smile.

"I will. Thanks" Annabeth thanked and smiled, the excitement swelling in full force. She walked out and gave it her best effort, just like she was asked. At the end of the night she was out of air, sweating and tired, but it was all worth the rush she got for that hour on stage - a magical hour where her mind completely blanked out and allowed her to focus on doing what she loves most.

"You were great" Luke said and offered a smile, putting his guitar off to the side and embraced Annabeth.

"Thanks. You were great too" she said.

"You killed it!" Thalia exclaimed and tackled her best friend in a bear hug, "That was amazing"

"Thanks, Thals" Annabeth gave a smile, but it grew into a grin when she noticed the familiar wheelchair. Next to it stood a tall man. A grey business suit and pants, black shoes, a blue vest and tie. Both heads were scanning around, Mr. Brunner finding Annabeth's first. He called over to the mystery man and they both made their way to the blonde singer.

"You were phenomenal, dear" Mr. Brunner said.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me" she replied and caught a glance of the suited man watching her conversation. There was a small, uncomfortable pause. Mr. Brunner broke it with a small cough.

"Annabeth, I want you to meet Mr. Johnson. He's the one I wanted to mention to you earlier"

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Chase" Mr. Johnson said and extended a hand. Annabeth shook it firmly with a polite smile.

"It's nice to meet you too" she replied as he sorted through the papers in his hands, looking for a specific one. He pulled out multiple files stapled together as Mr. Brunner smiled. Annabeth wasn't quite sure of what was going on.

"I came to give you an offer" he started and Annabeth wanted to pass out. Her heart started racing and she was at a loss of words. "I'm representing a record company in New York and we think you have an incredibly bright future as an artist. We'd be honored if you would sign with us". Annabeth's lips moved like a fish. She couldn't speak. No words could describe how happy she was or how long she's waited. This is what she's worked her entire life to achieve, and it was _actually _happening.

"I-I'm-I can't" she stuttered as the two older men smiled at her confusion. "Thank you so much" she said with a happy tear in her eyes.

"I'll leave this with Mr. Brunner, and here's my business card. Give me a call within the next few days regarding your decision" Mr. Johnson said with a wave and walked away.

"Let's go inside, I'll explain" Mr. Brunner said to his student, who was still stunned. They sat down as Mr. Brunner explained the terms of the contract. Since Annabeth was a new artist, she would be signed to a two year deal. "It's their way of gauging how successful you'll be" Mr. Brunner explained.

"Wait, what about Thalia and Luke?" she asked, slightly fearful. They haven't been mentioned by either man.

"I'm sorry Annabeth" Mr. Brunner, "But I'm afraid they aren't apart of their plan"

"What?" she started, "No…I can't. I need them, Mr. Brunner"

Mr. Brunner is the only one that understood. He's been helping the three teens on their journey to be musicians. He was a father figure to the group and a true mentor. He helped them write and learn and book gigs. To Annabeth, he was everything – a role model – a representation of who she wanted to be not just as a musician, but as a person.

"I know, Annabeth. I know how much you value your relationship with those two" he said honestly, "But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for. I know how passionate you are about music, and an opportunity like this may never come again. It's entirely your choice."

"I need some time" Annabeth said in a whisper. Her voice was shaky and her head was throbbing. "To think to myself" Mr. Brunner nodded in understanding and left. She didn't even go to see her friends before going back home. She just needed to be alone.

The first night was horrible. As good as the news were, Annabeth couldn't stop tearing and feeling sad when she looked at the papers. It must've been the 20th time she read them, because they detailed everything, even what wasn't written on them. The 22 year old never considered making music without her friends a viable option because they were always there. They helped her get to this point and she can't leave them behind. She cried that night, multiple times, and barely slept.

The next morning was even harder. She wasn't crying, but she was thinking, the most she ever thought in a while - the words '_An incredibly bright future' _and '_once in a lifetime opportunity' _rung in her cranium over and over. She got to a point where she was considering doing this, considering taking the offer and going off to a solo career. She would tell her friends tomorrow, she thought to herself. She would talk to them and she would share with them because she always does, and it was wrong keeping something like this away from them.

She was in her house alone for the entire day until she finally decided to text her friends, telling them she's coming over with important news. She took the contract with her and got in her car, leaving for Thalia's place where they usually hung out to make music. She knocked on the door timidly, trying to mask her worried expression.

"Hey Annie" Thalia answered and hugged her friend.

"Hey" she said, "Is Luke here too?"

"I'm here" she heard the blonde teenager call from the steps leading to the basement. He rushed up, gave Annabeth a hug and wrapped his arm around Thalia's waist.

"I have to tell you guys something important" she said, the veil dropping. She was led into the house and seated on the couch.

"What's wrong?"

Annabeth didn't know how to break the news. She never really thought of it, so she acted on instinct. She pulled the paper out of her coat pocket, unfolding it neatly. She swallowed noticeably before looking up to her friends and placing the paper on the table. They gave her a cautious look before unfolding it slowly, almost as if they were scared of what it might read. Annabeth knew _she_ was, at least. Both pairs of blue eyes scanned the paper, until they looked up to Annabeth, who had a sad smile on her face.

"I got a record deal" she said in a voice that definitely was higher pitch than her usual tone. Her friends' eyes filled with surprise and shock, but not in a bad way. There was some happiness for her, that she got an opportunity like this. Thalia went forward first and hugged Annabeth firmly, squealing excitedly while Luke just gave a happy smile.

"Annie, that's amazing!" The older girl said and sat down next to her boyfriend. They both looked at the young singer, who was dazed, even scared.

"What's wrong?" the couple asked at the same time.

"They…" she tried speaking as she held back tears, "They said it's a solo offer and it's in New York. I can't leave you two, you're my family" she explained.

The teens sitting beside her shared a sympathetic look before Luke cleared his throat and spoke. "We love you, Annabeth. I know how hard this is for you, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity" he said. Great, Annabeth thought. Just when she managed to push Mr. Brunner's words out of her head, here they come right back. "This is a chance to go after your dream. You're a prodigy, Annabeth. You have natural talent that not many people are born with." he explained. "Besides, Thalia and I never thought of doing music full time. I mean I love teaching, but I never thought of it as a career. Our lives are all set here" he said and sighed, "And we wanted to tell you this sooner, but…we're planning on getting married in the future" he revealed and put an arm around Thalia's waist, kissing her temple.

Annabeth had the biggest smile on her face when she jumped to and hugged them both. "That's amazing. I'm so happy for you guys" she explained with happy tears in her eyes. "It's just…the guilt was killing me over you no-"

"Annie, its fine" Thalia interrupted, "We're happy for you too, okay? This is the best for you. Just think of how bad you've worked to get here. Plus I have a brother in New York, his name's Jason, I'm sure he'll love to help you out."

"Thanks Thals" she said and stood up, embracing her friends in a big group hug that she swore could've lasted a few hours, "I love you guys, remember that"

"We love you too" the couple answered in unison.

A few days later and Annabeth's is in the airport heading to New York. Mr. Brunner promised he would join her later, and they arranged for her to stay at a hotel until she can find a suitable place to live in. Annabeth never imagined that day would be as hard as it was. Saying a final goodbye to her friends before she heads off to the big city was a lot harder then she expected.

"You'll come visit me, right?" she asked them hopefully, "We'll see each other again?"

"Annabeth, we're family" Luke said.

"Only if you promise to come see us too" Thalia said.

Luke elbowed her side lightly, "What? I was serious" she said.

They shared as a small laugh and a final hug before Annabeth turned to her flight, never looking back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Welcome back!  
><strong>**So, this is my second story, The Road, inspired by what i'm passionate about: music. So let me get 2 things out of the way.**

**The uploads, unlike my other story, won't be as rapid. I really want to put in the time to make this a quality story.**

**Please do review and tell me if you want to see the rest, otherwise I won't bother writing. **

**Massive shoutout to AncientTide for being amazing and helping me with this. **


	2. Chapter 2

**THE ROAD - CHAPTER TWO**

_Percy, 2 years later_

"NAILED IT!" I heard my best friend Grover yell through the headphones.

"How was that?" I asked excitedly.

"That was perfect" he said with a huge smile.

"Let me hear it" I said as he pressed a few buttons, the guitar solo I just played blasting through the recording booth I was in. I couldn't help it, so I played along. This was the 25th time we've tried. My hands were already getting tired but I knew I had to get this down today or I wouldn't be able to go sleep. I listened intently for mistakes. None…

"Yes!" I exclaimed happily and stepped out of the booth to meet Grover. I moved the guitar I had strapped onto my shoulders out of the way so Grover and I could share a bro hug before he sat down to save the recording.

"Finally" I said and put the guitar on a stand before stretching my limbs.

"Hey, no average player can play as fast as you just did" Grover encouraged as I cracked my knuckles.

"Practice, G-Man, practice, but that doesn't matter. You think he'll like it?" I asked.

"He's got some serious ear problems if he doesn't" Grover replied confidently. He's been my best friend since I was little, and we share a love for music. While he doesn't play an instrument besides the reed pipes, he has amazing ears and a great knack for sound, and his voice isn't half bad either. When we agreed we were going to be musicians, he signed on to be my producer and manager.

This demo is a huge deal to both of us, which is why we're still in Grover's basement at 3:15am in the morning. We saw an ad on the internet the other day from Olympus Records that said they were looking for talent for 'future projects'. We didn't care what the project was going to be, we were just both determined to get noticed. Mr. Brunner, one of the talent scouts, contacted us and told us to send in a demo of some of my music. We had to produce and write everything ourselves, meaning I had to play guitar all day for the past week – I wasn't complaining – It took a long few days of work, and now we could only sit and hope that the final result blows their minds.

"I'll send it in tomorrow. I need to make sure the audio is crisp and doesn't clip, that could be the make it or break it point here." He said as I paced back and forth with my hands over my head. When he noticed he stood up and held my shoulders tightly, stopping me from moving.

"It's going to be fine, Percy. You're great"

"I'm nervous, G-Man" How could I not be?

"Don't be. I'll make sure you sound great." He reassured.

"I really hope so"

"Hey, trust in me, okay?" Grover said seriously.

"Alright" I said and calmed myself down. "I just need some rest. I'll see you down here tomorrow" I said and left for my house as Grover wrapped up his gear. I took my phone out of my pocket, plugged in the earphones, shuffling through all my songs. I took one last glance at the advertisement, 'Olympus Records talent auditions! Send in your demos now!' was written in big black letters with gold lining on a white background. The logo was on the bottom, and in between were pictures of famous artists the label has signed.

I stepped outside and got on my bike, admiring the city. New York was different in the night time. There were the occasional drunk people stumbling out of the loud bars of the city, but besides that, it was quiet. If you visited before, you would know this city is loud, perhaps more than others. The constant rush of traffic and taxis and suited business men talking on their Bluetooth headsets really does make New York the city that never sleeps and never shuts up.

I opened the main door to the small apartment complex and dragged my bike up the stairs, chaining it inside. My feet worked their way up the steps, skipping two at a time, until I easily climbed the four different floors leading to my apartment. I took out my keys and opened the door slowly and was surprised to see my mom, Sally, awake at a time like this, typing furiously on her laptop. She looked up and her eyes shone at the sight of me. It made sense, since I wasn't around a lot the past week, which made things a little more complicated for us.

"Hey, sweetie" she said and hugged me.

"Hey, mom" I said as she stepped away and sat in front of her laptop again, "What are you doing up at this time?"

"I have something I have to finish for work" she said.

"How was Tyson today?" I asked about my younger brother.

"He really missed you, but overall he was okay" my mom answered.

"I'm glad. I feel bad about not seeing him for a while" I said. I really was feeling guilty. I love my brother and I made it my duty to watch over him since he was born, since he wasn't in the best mental condition.

"You can always surprise him tomorrow" she suggested with a smile.

"I got a better idea" I said with a smirk and made my way to my room. I removed the mattress from the bed frame, taking the sheets, blankets and pillows with it, and carried them to my brother's room. My mom must have heard the sound of the mattress moving against the floor, because seconds later she was in front of me, confused.

"Percy, what-"

"Mom, its okay" I told her, "Go to sleep, you need rest. There's no use in overworking yourself"

"And you haven't overworked yourself?" she retorted the question back to me.

"You know this is a big deal to Grover and I. Plus you can use all the help you can get. Just go to sleep, okay?"

She sighed and scratched her head for a moment, "Fine" she answered and gave me another hug, "I love you" she said.

"I love you, too mom. I'll see you tomorrow"

"Make sure not to make too much noise. You know how long it takes your brother to fall asleep."

"Trust me, I know" I replied and we smiled at each other before she disappeared into her room. I opened Tyson's door and laid the mattress on the floor gently, leaving the blanket and pillow on top of it. I went back to my room, changed into my pajamas and came back to Tyson's. I took a look at his sleeping form, drooling from the side of his mouth before I laid my head down and fell asleep instantly.


	3. Chapter 3

**THE ROAD – CHAPTER 3**

_Annabeth_

I never imagined that working for two years would lead to this. Today has the potential to be life changing. Hell, it _is_ life changing.

For the past two years I've been working for a local record company, here in New York, called 'Underworld Records'. It was my introduction to the professional music world. One thing I managed to learn is that it's tough, nothing like I expected. I didn't have problems with working, but artists have to constantly come up with new material, and it can be very stressful sometimes. Being a new talent and on a tight schedule, I was working nonstop – from writing for my debut album to practicing and performing.

The first few weeks were exhausting, but fortunately, for me, I had a helping hand. Piper McLean, one of my best and closest friends in the world, and the daughter of famous actor Tristan McLean and beauty queen Aphrodite McLean. She doesn't enjoy the fame and the lights, which is why she decided to break away from her parents as soon as she could and move from Los Angeles to New York. She's from Cherokee decent, she told me once, and is truly beautiful, unlike girls-that-put-on-tons-of-make-up-beautiful. She has brown choppy hair and matching eyes of the same color. Her voice is so soothing and fabulous it's beyond belief. I always asked her why she doesn't sing herself, and I was convinced and still am that she is better than me, but she gives the same reason every time – the fame. It just doesn't suit her and her tomboyish personality.

Here we are in present time, sitting in the lobby of the Olympus Records building, one of the biggest record labels in the world. My contract with Underworld already expired after I got the audition opportunity from Olympus. I myself couldn't tell you how it went, because I was nervous, but Piper tells me it went great. We decided that we would be parting on good terms. It hurt doing it, really. They gave me my start, and I'll always be grateful, but I'm shooting for something bigger here. I knew my chances of becoming bigger would come with Olympus. Piper, of course, is coming with me.

I was nervous. The night before I barely slept, just practicing what I was going to say to the producers over and over. Piper urged me to try and sleep, but I couldn't. I was too eager, terrified and absolutely on edge. I was just walking around now, back and forth, trying to slow my heart rate down before it burst my chest open.

"Stop being so worried" Piper said, breaking a short silence that I didn't even notice started.

I straightened out my outfit nervously, "How do I look?"

"Okay, so it's bad"

"I look bad?"

"No, you look great" she reassured, "It's just that you never tidy up your outfit, and you never worry about how you look. Stop worrying so much!"

"I'm sorry"

"And you're apologetic too. This isn't right."

"You aren't making this easier, Piper"

It was her turn to apologize now, "I'm sorry. But seriously, you have to stop worrying. You'll do great!"

"Thanks Pipes" I said and gave her a hug.

"Anytime, Annie. Just calm down, you're amazing" she pulled away as we both sat down. We sat in silence until a woman with a short dark skirt, white blouse and a black blazer walked towards our direction.

"Annabeth Chase?" she called but didn't look our way.

"Here" I answered and raised my hand.

"Come with me, please" she said and Piper and I followed. We walked through the halls of the building, different color plaques for an assortment of albums on the walls. There were small offices to both our sides and a big Olympus Records lightning logo suspended above our heads. I couldn't help but stop and look at it. Even though I'm a musician, my parents wanted me to become an architect when I was a kid, just like my mother.

"Annie, come on!" I heard Piper whistle to me, knocking the trance out.

"Sorry" I said and blushed. I couldn't be making a bad first impression. I walked over to her direction quickly as the older woman called down an elevator. A few floors later and we're at the top floor of the building. There were a few recording studios around us and a big window overlooking all of Central Park. The sun was a giant bulb lighting up the big city. It was breathtaking.

"This way, we'll be going to Mr. D's office" She said. Dionysus, the CEO. I was nervous to meet him. Not only is he the head of the label, but I heard…_things_ about him, like how he's always drunk off his behind. As his attendant opened the door, my rumors were confirmed. There was a big, wooden desk and big cabinets with glass windows, all full of different alcoholic beverages. The room itself had a very strong smell. There were, just like on the first floor, plaques surrounding the walls around me. A big, flat screen TV and a few luxury seats in front of the CEO's desk completed the room.

"Mr. D, Mrs. Chase is here to see you" the secretary said as Mr. D turned around in his chair, an expensive looking bottle of wine in his hands. My eyes scanned his figure. He didn't look like a professional businessman _at all_. His face was chubby and his eyes were bloodshot blue, probably from drinking. He had a striped Hawaiian shirt on that seemed way too tight. His hair was black and very curly.

"Oh, Mrs. Chase, good to see you" he said unenthusiastically, "Sit" I followed his orders silently and sat down.

"Annabeth's fine too sir" I said as Piper sat next to me.

"So, Annie bell" he started, "Everyone here thinks you have a great musical talent and all that nonsense and has offered you a deal"

My eyes went wide with shock in an instant. I had everything prepared; I wrote a little mini speech in my head and even brought a few of my better songs and some new demos I recorded to show my work. So, just like that? Is it done?

"Thank you, sir" I said a little nervously. I still didn't know what to make of this situation. Is he just fooling around or was he serious?

"Here are the papers" he said and handed us a small stack of sheets, "You know what to do" he grumbled before turning around in his chair, "Just mail these in to…" he said and tried pointing a finger toward the secretary at the door from over his back.

"Mrs. Roberts" the woman spoke up.

"Yeah, her. Show them around sometime would you, Mrs. Robens?"

"Of course, sir" the woman said politely as we went out the door.

"So…just like that?" I asked Piper, who was as shocked as I was. Her eyebrows were raised and her eyes seemed to grow bigger in astonishment.

"I…don't…what just happened?" she asked in a daze.

"Mr. D isn't very welcoming of new people. No offense" Mrs. Robert answered, "I'll show you around the building, if you two are interested"

"Very" I replied for both of us, Piper was still speechless.

We walked toward the elevator and took it a few floors down to the 25th level. There were an assortment of offices and again, recording studios. Well, _recording studio_, I should say. It was huge, unlike the others. Mrs. Roberts stepped toward the door and unlocked it, "This is where you two will be working" she said and opened the door. The studio was amazing.

"Follow me" Mrs. Roberts said and ushered us in. The first room was the control room. There was a big, black office chair that seemed incredibly comfortable in front of a big control surface, full of knobs, sliders, and switches. There was a small space for a computer in the middle of it and a big bundle of cables running down the side of the wall behind it and up to a few speaker cabinets. In front of it was a glass window looking into another room.

"This is the live room" Mrs. Roberts said and opened the door, motioning toward the room. There was a light parquet floor and a tall ceiling. There was a big piano in the corner, a drum set, and some bass and guitars scattered on their stands all across the room. A corner held a pile of amplifier heads and speakers with some microphones and cords on the top, very neatly organized, along with some chairs and stools. The walls were coated in foams to produce reverb, which helps make the sound rich when recording. And of course, there were speakers all over the place.

After Piper and I admiring for a few minutes, we stepped outside and made our way through a small but wide hall to another section of the study. In this one were a few smaller booths, one designated for singers, with a microphone and a set of headphones, guitarists and bassists, and the biggest one for drums. There was another small door that leads to a lounge type area with a big fridge full of drinks and cabinets full of fresh snacks. There was another couch in front of a big TV and a glass table in between. There were speakers in that room as well.

In short, the place was absolutely overwhelming.

"Wow" Piper finally said, breaking the silence we shared throughout the tour. Her dad was rich and had a big mansion back in Los Angeles, but she was still awed.

"I can't believe we're going to be working here" I added.

"It takes some time getting used to" Mrs. Roberts said, fishing in her pocket for a pair of keys. "You two can stay here, just make sure you lock the door and drop this off in the lobby." She said, gave a smile and left after we thanked her.

Piper sat down on the couch and sighed in comfort, "This is comfy. I can't believe this place's ours" she said as I sat down in front of her, unfolding the contract and laying it on the table.

"Technically, we aren't working here yet. We haven't signed this." I said and pointed to the contract.

"You didn't sign it?" Piper asked, slightly horrified.

"I have to read it first" I answered and looked it over. A set of words caught me off guard. "Oh, come on!" I said exasperatedly and got off the couch. Piper looked over the page I left open as I grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge. She was reading to herself, but I could make out the words as I got closer, the same words that weren't mentioned to me before I came here.

"'Audition new band mates and release an album within the year to tour for'. It's not that bad" Piper said and nodded, still reading the file.

"Did you forget what I told you when we met?" I asked her. How could she?

"About Luke and Thalia? Yeah, of course. What about that?"

I sighed in frustration. "It hurt me to leave them, Piper. That's why I've been working _solo_ for the past two years. I can't grow attached to someone and then separate from them."

"And who said you'll grow attached to anyone from this new band?" Piper asked with raised eyebrows.

"There's going to be a tour. Touring does that to people and you know that as well as I do."

"Annie, it's not that bad!" Piper said, "Look, maybe this could be a good thing, right? Look at the bright side!"

"What bright side?" I asked as my head snapped to her direction.

"That you get the chance to accomplish your dreams" I was sure that I was just going to sign here no matter what, but this whole new 'band' thing really got me thinking twice. Piper's words really got to me. She was right; after all, I've been working my butt off the last two years to get an opportunity like this. Am I really going to let it slip? Is it worth it?

"I remember what Mr. Brunner told you once, there's not going to be another chance like this"

What am I going to tell Mr. Brunner? He'll just be upset at me for letting this get away. I wasn't very well known before, and this was my shot. This was my shot to get noticed, he would tell me. I knew he would.

"Fine" I sighed and reviewed the paper once more, finally signing 'Annabeth Chase' at the bottom.

"I knew you would" Piper said and gave me a hug, "Congratulations"

"Thanks Pipes" I said, "Let's go drop this off and go home, I want to get some rest"

We left the contract with Mrs. Roberts, who we found along the way, as well as the keys. She gave us both a permanent pair that we can use to get in and out freely. As we drove home, I realized what I just did - I signed on to start a brand new chapter to life with brand new strangers. Could I be any crazier?


	4. Chapter 4

**THE ROAD – CHAPTER 4**

_Percy, one week later_

"Say hi to your mom for me" My boss, Mrs. Abramson said to me as I walked out the door of the small groceries store I worked at.

"I will, thanks Mrs. A" I gave a smile got on my bicycle, riding up the streets of New York. I put my headphones on and shuffled through my music; the city was too loud for me. Luckily, the ride wasn't very long as I managed to suppress the sounds of cars honking and people screaming. I took the two wheeled vehicle up the stairs and chained it to one of the pipes and skipped up the stairs. I knocked on the door until my dad answered.

"Hey Percy" he said and gave me a small hug.

"Hey dad" I said. As soon as the words left my mouse, I realized my voice must've been heard across the house. Or maybe my brother has super hearing, because he was there in a blink, crushing me with a huge hug.

"Percy!" he yelled as I choked on the little air I had in my lungs.

"Can't breathe, Tyson" I said as he let me go slowly. My breaths became rapid pants as my brother rubbed my back, making sure I was okay and muttering apologies in my ear.

"I'm okay" I assured, "Don't worry about me"

Tyson still had an apologetic look in his eyes as he spoke, "Tyson's sorry. He didn't mean to hurt Percy"

"Tyson, it's okay" I said and smiled at him, "I'm okay. You have nothing to apologize for. Now let's go make things go 'boom-boom' like I promised you".

His small smile from before turned into a huge grin as he grabbed my wrist tightly and pulled me to his room, picking out a game to play. He took the box to the living room as we sat down and played the Mass Effect for a while. Tyson loved the combat sections of the game and fighting all the different aliens, making them explode, as you could've guessed. I wasn't a huge fan, but seeing my brother happy was my biggest priority and joy, so I joined him whenever he played. There are also some diplomatic decisions in the game that he loves to make, most of them ending in absolute disaster and chaos. He always resorts to war – if there's an option to make more things blow up, he'll pick it every time. His excuse is 'boom-boom'. My character went down injured before Tyson yelled, frantically pressing all the buttons on the controller to kill the creature that shot me.

"Percy! I'm coming brother!" he yelled, "Tyson will protect you!" he said and healed my soldier, allowing it to stand back up and keep fighting.

"You're the best, Tyson" I said as he grinned at the screen. Despite his mental health, he was good at this game. Like, _way_ too good. After we completed the mission, Tyson turned off the console and looked at me pleadingly.

"What's wrong?" I asked him and stood up.

"Can Percy play guitar with Tyson?" he asked.

"Of course, big guy. Go get your drums"

"Yey!" he yelled and dragged me to his room. He let my hand go at the doorway and pulled out the set of toy drums he likes to play on. Mom met me as I turned around and started heading to my room, where Tyson and I usually play together.

"There's my big boy" she said and hugged me.

"Mom, I'm 24, I think I lost the 'boy' title a long time ago"

"But you're still my boy, right? _I_ think I earned the right to call you that since you were born"

"Tyson is playing music with Percy!" Tyson interrupted our conversation.

"That's great, honey" Mom said and ruffled Tyson's hair before he dashed to my room, me following behind him. He set the drum set down on the floor and sat in front of it, legs folded on top of one another. I grabbed one of my guitars, but didn't plug it in to the amplifier. That was one of the things about playing with Tyson. The sound of the speaker would just cut out his drums, and he liked to lead. He would usually play his own thing and I would add some chords on top of it, and maybe a small solo if he asked me to. It was a breath of fresh air. I was so used to playing in the lead that now when Tyson leads me, I have a blast.

"Start us off, Ty" I said as he tapped out a rhythm on the drums. I took a minute to listen and started playing a few chords as Tyson laughed and played louder. He was hitting the pads so hard I thought they were going to – and they should've, by now – ripped. He found an even rhythm, not too loud, but warm. We played for a while before my dad stepped in the room, smiling at both of us.

"Look, daddy" Tyson said, "We're a brothers band now!"

"Forever" I added in.

My dad gave a warm smile as we high fived, "Grover's been looking for you. He's on the line now" he said, holding my cell phone.

"Toss it" I said and prepared a hand to catch the phone.

"Come take it, I don't want it to fall and break"

"Dad, it's not an iPhone. It won't shatter if it hits the bed sheets. Toss it" I said. My dad nervously threw the phone to me as I heard a panicked Grover on the other side of the line before I even managed to put the device to my ear.

"Perce, you got to come here, like, right now" he said breathlessly. He sounded nervous, really on edge. I heard Juniper Greene, his girlfriend, trying to calm him down from the other side of the line, but it wasn't working.

"Hey Percy" she said, taking the phone from Grover. I could still hear him in the background, slightly yelling.

"Hey Juniper. What's wrong with him now?" I asked.

"All he said is he needs you here right now and that it's really important"

"I'm on my way, tell him I'll be there in fifteen" I said. I looked over to Tyson who was slightly disappointed.

"Is this the important secret song?" he asked me.

"I don't know, it might be. But don't worry, I'll be back later. I'm sorry I have to leave"

"It's okay. Music is important to Percy. Tyson's happy for him" he said and gave me a hug before I rushed out the door, worried about Grover.

Was this it? Did we get a response?

The question really was if we got in or not. All I needed was an opportunity. That's all I asked for and wanted at this point. We never asked to be signed, I just wanted to get noticed, and I knew things would roll on from there. The ride there was a little more frantic. Instead of fifteen minutes, I got there in a little less than ten. I opened the door and rushed through Grover's apartment, storming down to the basement where I knew he always is. I saw him on one of the couches, in Juniper's arms. He was shivering, for some reason. His face was pale and he looked like he was going to puke his lunch of enchiladas, which he had every single day.

"What's wrong G-Man?" I asked. All I got was a shaky look and a pointed finger towards a computer screen. I walked over timidly. This was definitely the Olympus thing. And damn you, Grover, you have me worried. I nearly peed in my own pants as I thought of what I might see; us getting turned down. That was the worst fear I have. Opportunities and open auditions like this don't come around often. With the internet these days, talent scouts rather look people's lip synched songs up online. A company like this doesn't do these types of open talent searches often.

I clicked on the email tab and I felt my jaw loosen.

"_Perseus Jackson, you've been invited to audition for Olympus Records"_

This couldn't be real.

But it was.

My life finally has the chance to change for the better.

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><p><strong>AN: Guess who's back?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: There's a little experiment I want to try. Since this story has to deal with instruments, I thought of a way to give you a visual. In every chapter i'll write in the instruments I imagine the characters playing. If it's a good/bad idea, let me know. **

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><p><strong>THE ROAD – CHAPTER 5<strong>

_ANNABETH_

Auditions

It depends who you ask and you'll get a different answer on what it's like. Some people will say they pee their pants from excitement. Other would tell you that it's really no big deal.

I heard things about holding auditions and tryouts. Sometimes they can be drawn out, taking between a few hours to a few days. Olympus Records is a big company, but Mr. Brunner told me everyone had to send in their demos beforehand and get picked, so I was hopeful. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

I don't feel as comfortable here as I used to. Sometimes I even wonder if it was comfort I was really feeling when I signed here. Mr. Brunner and Piper keep saying I should befriend people, and that it might help ease me in. But that's the problem; Friends don't last. They come and go and get swapped out. Attaching to someone is too big of a risk. People change their minds all the time. They get new offers, more money, and move on from old friends and ties for the fame. If a friend of mine did this, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I get overly attached to friends sometimes. And when I heard I had to tour with these new 'band mates' if you can call them that, I was even more terrified.

Touring bonds people together. When you're out on the road, just your own little group, for a long time, you connect. As much as people might neglect it over and over again, it happens. I'm not oblivious to it. I don't deny it. It happens, and sometimes it can be cruel, but other times it can create the most beautiful relationships in the world. I'm scared of both. The best I could do is to try and shield myself.

We walked toward the room were the tryouts would be held, and I noticed Mr. Brunner sitting in his wheelchair and talking to Mr. D. He politely excused himself from the conversation once he caught my eye and made his way towards me.

"Hey, Mr. B" I said and gave him a small hug. It was tough hugging someone in a wheelchair, but we made it work.

"Hello, Annabeth. You look cheery today. Are you excited?" The truth is, I wasn't. It was just that effect Mr. Brunner had on me. He always manages to make me smile, no matter what.

"Not really. I'm nervous"

"There's no reason to be. In the end it's you that has to make the decision on any of these players, but Piper and I will be here to help you." He said.

So now the responsibility is on me? I have to handpick these guys myself?

Mr. D called in some of the players. I had a little notepad prepared, just to write notes on what I liked from each player. There was one called James from Arkansas, on the drums. He was okay at best. There was a Dave from Florida on bass. He wasn't any better than me on the instrument, and I only started playing a few years ago. The first few weren't very good, and I could feel my trouble rise. Piper tried cheering me up with my favorite smoothie, but it honestly didn't work.

"What's your name, son?" Mr. D asked an Asian looking player holding a bass in his hands. He had a very bulky figure and a short dark hair. He looked like a soldier.

"Frank Zhang" he answered.

"And where are you from?"

"Vancouver, Canada"

"So Fred Dang, what will you be playing for us?" he asked again, clearly unenthusiastic and tired.

"Just some improvisation and solos that I composed" he said confidently. He started playing and I was honestly surprised and in a good way. He was good, way better than the others. The way he played made the difficult techniques he was doing seem easy. This was a great wakeup call after a batch of mediocre players. I wrote his name down on my notepad and turned to Mr. Brunner.

"He's good" he said.

"Yeah, it's a nice change."

"I say he's the one for now." Piper said. I couldn't agree more, so I marked Frank's name, just for future reference. And I'm glad I did. The other players weren't nearly as good as him. Mr. D excused himself and went to get 'something' as we moved on to the next bunch of players. In came a bunch of drummers, again. Why James was separated from that group, I didn't know and didn't care. We all moved over to the drum studio and a few stepped in, one at a time. None of them had anything interesting, just the same old tired beat you hear almost everyone that's a beginner play.

Then came in a short Latino looking guy; he had curly black hair and big, excited but dark brown eyes. There was a huge smile plastered on his face, and he looked like an elf directly out of Santa's workshop. He sat down at the drum set and started spinning the sticks in his fingers excitedly, still smiling.

"I'm Leo Valdez" he started before Mr. Brunner could ask for his name, "From Houston, Texas"

"Well, Mr. Valdez, show us your best" Mr. Brunner said, smiling back at Leo, leaning back in his wheelchair and crossing his arms over his chest. Leo started playing, and from the looks of it, he was happy. He wasn't nervous to just let go and have fun. He was smiling the whole time, which was rare. Most of the other players came in with dead serious looks on their faces, emotionless throughout their entire performance. But Leo had this spark to him, this light in his heart that made it seem as if there was no more worry in the world, as if all your troubles are gone and replaced by his music. And on top of that his technique, controlling the sound and sticks with his hands, was fantastic.

"I think we found a new drummer" I said and wrote 'Leo Valdez' down on my notepad. All Piper did was smile at Leo, Mr. Brunner adding a warm thumbs up along with a smile of his own. Leo finished the rest of the song happily, tossed both sticks in the air. They landed somewhere in the room. He was way too hyper to go get them. Mr. Brunner spoke with him for a while before he gathered up some of the gear he brought with him and left the room. We didn't really need to listen to the other drummers, but we did anyways. Leo's performance and personality really lifted our spirits. I figured if I'm going to tour for a while, we can really use someone like that on the long bus rides. The other drummers came and left in a breeze. Mr. D came back in during the last audition and burped so loudly one of the players' sticks left his hand and flew through the air. Needless to say, it was hard for him to recover.

Next were the guitarists. We were looking for two; a lead guitarist – who would play the solos during vocal breaks – and a rhythm guitarist – who needs to have good knowledge of chords and good timing with the bass and drums. Usually both players just share the same role.

All these players had those, with various styles. The guitar auditions were the most competitive. Every time we decided to write down a name, another player came in and topped the next. It was entertaining to say the least. Just ask Piper, who went head over heels the entire time. Fast, fancy guitar riffs managed to impress her every time. I have to admit they impress me too, but speed isn't everything.

The first bunch of performers were the rhythm guitarists. Being a guitar player myself, I must say they were good. Some were better, which we wrote down. The next player really caught our eyes. He had dark black hair and was wearing clothes to match it, along with a silver skull ring. His skin was pale white and he had black-brownish eyes. His guitar, a Gibson model which I couldn't quiet name, was all black as well. His expression didn't show much, however. He had a blank stare and looked very confident in himself, as if no words could faze him. He plugged his guitar into the amp and played with some of the knobs before turning to us.

"What's your name?" Mr. Brunner asked politely.

"Nico. Nico Di Angelo, from Washington D.C"

"And you're trying for rhythm guitar, correct?"

"Yes, sir"

"And what will you be playing for us today?"

"Just some parts I wrote" he said and started playing his chords. For this to be labeled 'just some parts' was an understatement; Nico's control over the instrument and fretboard was amazing. All the chords were crisp, no unnecessary strings or notes sounded throughout the entire performance. I shared a look with Piper and Mr. Brunner, who both nodded at me. I wrote Nico's name down. His audition was the last, which made him a lucky one, because he'll get the job. He was just _that_ much better than the others.

The lead guitarists were next, the final part of the audition and Piper's favorite. The first few guitarists were good, but nothing special. As the competition went on, they got noticeably better and better. Just like the rhythm guitarists, each passing player managed to top the next. That's when _he _walked in.

Sea green eyes, messy black hair, and tall. He had an amusing smile on his face as he sat down with his guitar, an Ibanez model with a funny looking Monkey Grip on the side, and plugged into the amp. After strumming a few chords and changing some of the settings, he turned to us.

"Who are you?" Mr. D asked.

"Perseus Jackson, but I prefer Percy"

_PERCY_

"How're you feeling?" Grover asked. We were in the waiting area of the studio, guitar players surrounding us.

"Nervous. Really nervous" I said and started tapping my feet impatiently, which I did a lot when I got frustrated. It reminded me of music, where I tapped my foot a lot to keep a beat, so it was a calming gesture.

"Just play something. Distract yourself" Grover suggested.

"How am I supposed to play this without an amp?" I asked, gesturing to the guitar I had on my lap.

"Like we used to back in the day" he said. I gave a chuckle and started playing, the feeling of my hand holding the pick and stroking the strings immediately soothing me. Music was comfort for me, a sort of escape. Whenever I played, I just lost a sense of time and reality and focused intently on the melody. It was great, considering how much turmoil there was in my life.

"Perseus Jackson?" I heard a woman call to me.

"Right here" Grover said quickly and stood up.

"Follow me" she instructed. I took a moment to stand up and breathe. This was it. The moment where my life could change forever, and my thoughts weren't helping me in the slightest.

"You'll be great, just focus on the music" he said and pat my shoulders.

"Thanks, Grover" I said and followed the lady who called me. She led me through a small hall with door at the end. To me, it looked like some kind of individual death march.

"Good luck" she said, motioning to the door. I was a little confused at first but opened the door timidly, stepping in the small studio. I took in the surroundings quickly. A high chair, almost like a stool, was in the middle with an amplifier next to it. There were effect pedals on the floor, some of which I recognized. There was a small window looking out into a control area, where four people sat. A tall, chubby man with a Hawaiian button down shirt on who looked disinterested, an older man in a wheelchair who gave me a warm smile, a Cherokee looking girl with choppy brown hair and brown eyes, and a blonde girl with shoulder length bangs and grey eyes. She caught my attention immediately, mostly because of how intimidating she looked. She had a small notepad in her hand and a pen. She was staring straight into my eyes, scanning me. If I thought I would fail before, I was sure I would fail now. I turned to the amplifier behind me quickly and changed some of the settings, hoping to avoid her gaze and relax.

"Who are you?" The chubby man asked me as I turned around. The way he spoke made him sound way too drunk, and he looked like he might just drop on the floor and pass out any minute.

"Perseus Jackson, but I prefer Percy" I answered. I never liked my full name, so I decided to shorten it to something a little catchier and less fancy sounding.

"And what will you be playing for us today?" The older man in the wheelchair asked. Just his voice made me feel a little better.

"A cover 'I'm the Hell Outta Here' by Steve Vai" I said. The song wasn't easy, but it was my best choice since it's an all instrumental, guitar centric song. And not to mention Steve Vai is an idol of mine, so this really was a no-brainer.

I lifted the guitar into place and readied my pick, another soothing motion that I've done so many times. The moment I started playing I could feel everyone's eyes snap to me, but I was already playing. My mind was tuned out. There was no pressure, just my right hand slicing through the strings and my left hand sliding up and down the fretboard. I didn't take my eyes off the guitar out of fear of making a mistake. Even though I can play this song blind, mistakes weren't welcome – not now, not ever. When I finally finished the song, I looked up to the window. The others outside were talking with each other intently, I could tell. The nerves came rushing back to me in an instant.

"So, Percy" the older man started, "Tell us a little more about yourself, when did you start playing music?"

That was an odd question to ask. From the small chatter I heard outside, people mostly just walked in and left. But I answered anyways. Maybe it's a good thing.

"I remember seeing my dad play some acoustic guitar in the living room as a hobby and when I was 5 I asked him to teach me. It went on like that for two years and then I started realizing I wanted to get better as a player, so I taught myself. I got my first electric guitar when I was 7, and the rest is pretty much history."

"Who are you inspirations?" The blonde girl spoke up, surprising me. I thought of all the guitarists that have inspired my playing style. I couldn't name all of them; if I did I would be sitting there all day.

"That's a big question…um, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Slash, Synyster Gates, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, John Petrucci, Dan Donegan…" I said and counted a finger off for each name, "There are so many of them"

"And how's your family? Any siblings at home?" Mr. Brunner asked.

"One, actually, my younger brother Tyson" I started but didn't elaborate too much. Whenever I spoke to people about Tyson they just felt pity for me and my family. In a situation like this, I really didn't want people I could potentially be working with treating me differently because my little brother's 'different' or 'special', as some people labeled him, because of his mental condition. I could never remember the name, but it was serious, and why I swore to take care of him from the day he was born, when I was 8. My parents didn't hide anything from me. They told me my brother has a mental disorder and that we'll need to take care of him his entire life.

"And how old is he?"

"He's 16" I answered. It's already been 16 years, huh? He's still the closest thing to me. His condition always has risks, but so far he's been mostly healthy.

"Well, Percy, it's been terrific and you seem like a great kid" Mr. Brunner concluded, "We'll contact you in the future when we make a decision"

As soon as I stepped out of the studio I made my way to Grover, who had a huge grin on his face.

"How was it, Perce?" He asked excitedly and walked up to me followed by his girlfriend, Juniper.

"It was great, no mistakes; they said they'll talk to me when they make a decision" I answered.

"You'll get in, I know it" Juniper assured me.

"Thanks, June" I said and gave her a quick hug. I put my guitar away neatly before turning around to face a voice that called my name.

"Good to see you again" the old man in the wheelchair greeted, "My name's Mr. Brunner, but you can call me Chiron, if you wish."

"Hey" I greeted, somewhat nervously. I shared a look with Grover. We both knew exactly what this was about. We knew, we just weren't expecting it this quickly. Most of the time, when I hear the words 'we'll contact you', I learned it means one thing: If you got in, we'll give a call. If you didn't, you'll never hear from us again.

"We were very impressed with your playing Percy." He started, "So much so that we decided to sign you on. Congratulations" he said with a smile and extended a hand. I tried my best to keep mine from shaking, but I couldn't. It was unimaginable, all of the hard work that I went through to be the best I can be has finally paid off. Grover was leaning heavily on my shoulder gripping me for support so he won't fall from the shock.

"T-thank you si-UGH" I yelped as I was knocked down to the ground by a pair of familiar arms.

"Percy!" I heard Tyson yell above me.

"Hey, big guy" I said and tried getting up from the floor, but his grip was tight. I eventually felt the air being sucked out of my lungs and tapped Tyson's arm, "Can't breathe".

He finally let me go and helped me stand up. Right over his shoulder I noticed my parents smiling at me. Grover was sitting down, looking at a piece of paper I was sure Chiron dropped off before he left, because he wasn't there anymore.

"Did Percy do it?" Tyson asked excitedly, "Did he?"

"Yes he did" My dad cut in and pulled me into a warm hug, "I'm proud of you"

"Thanks, dad" I said and glanced over at my mom. She was smiling as well before opening her arms toward me. I stepped closer to her before Tyson jumped in as well, both hugging our mother.

"I'm so happy for you" she whispered in my ear, "You deserve it"

My dad joined in soon as we shared a family hug, starting a new life as we know it.

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><p><strong>Nico's guitar: Gibson SG Gothic Morte<strong>

**Percy's guitar: Ibanez JEM7V a.k.a. Steve Vai's guitar. (I'm biased towards the guitars since I play them)**

**Frank's bass: Fender American Deluxe Percision Bass**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, look at that...i'm responding to reviews here now. Don't ask.**

_Smiles Burn In The Styx - With me it's a little weird. I'm definitely basing what Percy feels for the guitar on my own feelings toward the instrument. Now, tuning out to a different world is where it gets strange. I used to be, and still am a little, shy as a musician and as a person in general. Now that I started playing and opening up to family and some friends, I feel sort of the same way. Playing and listening to music tunes me out of everything. Small matters seem to disappear when I listen to music. I can't go through a 10 minute drive in a car without my music. It just drives me nuts. It's like drugs but in a great, healthy way._

_thedarkwhiteangel - It was just a sudden idea, but there's still a problem. I have to find so many instruments now, even ones I don't play like the bass. Hopefully I can make it work._

_Danwizard8010 - Thanks! I was worried about it at first, glad to see people enjoyed it._

_Guest - They definitely have their place, but they won't be introduced into our story quiet yet. When I feel the time's right, i'll bring them in. Thank you for the support. It means a lot._

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><p><strong>THE ROAD – CHAPTER 6<strong>

_Annabeth_

"Are they here?" I asked Piper as I stepped out of the small recording room I was just in. We were expecting Frank, Leo, Nico and Percy here today. I knew they were all informed that they were picked by Chiron, except for Leo. God knows where he went off to.

"Supposed to be" she answered, "Mrs. Roberts said she'll give us a call when they're downstairs".

"We told them not to be late. Why are they late?"

"Hey, relax, and stop making such a big fuss over it. Let's just go and relax until they decide to show up"

We both made our way to our small lounge and listened to some music until some of the players arrived. The first was Nico. I was surprised, since judging on appearance, he wouldn't be the guy to make it places on time, let alone first. What I wasn't expecting was the girl to his side. Nico's hair was shaggy, like he just woke from a season long slumber, a nice contrast to the girl, which was braided neatly. They were both wearing dark clothes and black boots.

"Sorry we're late, my brother's an idiot" she said as she put down a rectangular carrying case, which I didn't notice she had, on the floor as Nico put down the bulky, black guitar casing he was holding down.

"I'm Bianca, Nico's older sister" she introduced and offered me her hand.

"Annabeth Chase" I answered and motioned over to Piper who stepped closer to my side, "And this is my friend Piper McLean"

"McLean as in-"

"Don't mention them" Piper cut Bianca out harshly, "I'm sorry, I just don't like being associated with my parents. I hate the attention" she changed her tone, more sympathetic and warm this time.

"I should be the one apologizing, but it's understandable." Bianca said politely, "Nico, get over here" she commanded the younger man. She put her arm around his waist and squeezed before shoving him lightly. "And this is my moron of a brother, Nico" she introduced him to us. We shook hands and made small talk for a while. I learned that the two siblings are a little younger than me, Bianca being 22 and Nico being 21, and that they were both born in Italy before moving to Washington at a very young age and growing up there. I couldn't help but notice the ring that Nico had on his finger, silver with a skull on it, which he said he inherited from his father. We were sitting in the lounge when Mr. Brunner came in on his wheelchair.

"Oh, delightful" he said, "I see the Di Angelos are here. Where are the rest?" he asked Piper and I.

"God knows where" I admitted, "Did you manage to catch Leo?"

"Yes I did, he said he'll be here as well. It's-"

"Anyone here?" we heard someone yell from the door.

"Is that him?" Piper asked as we all stood up and went toward the control room, where Leo was standing, playing with the control panel.

"Oh, hey guys" he greeted as he noticed us.

"Hello, Mr. Valdez" Chiron started and maneuvered his wheelchair so he was next to Leo, "Allow me to introduce you to Nico, Bianca, Piper, and Annabeth" he introduced, and each person gave a wave, a smile, or both. It was great meeting everyone here and getting to know them better, but we were still missing two players: Percy and Frank.

Speaking of the latter, he arrived shortly after Leo did. As soon as we had a guitarist, a drummer, a bassist, and a vocalist in the same place, we just started playing. There was really no agenda to it, just improvisation, some personal favorites, and a whole lot of fun. As timid as I am about the whole touring thing, maybe it can be better with all these guys around me. But there was still one missing, our lead guitarist.

Nico was in the middle of playing a little solo over Leo's drum line when I got a text message from Mr. Brunner, telling me to come open the door. We keep it locked when we play and record. The floor's too small and the music's too loud, meaning everyone would be able to hear it, and as much as I love music, I don't want to cause a commotion.

"I'll be right back" I said to Piper and ran to the door. I expected Mr. Brunner on the other side, but instead it was Percy. The first thing I noticed is that he was panting and sweating. His hair was falling down and covering his forehead and a little bit of his eyes. His white shirt was clung tightly to his body from the sweaty fluids and you could see his skin. One of his hands, around the handle of a guitar case, was violently red.

"You're Annabeth, right?" he asked and I could hear how breathless he was at the moment.

"Yeah, that's me" I answered and let him step inside the studio, and I closed the door behind him.

"Oh, thank god" he said and put the case down, attempting to catch his breath. He moved some of the hair away from his eyes before he bent over and panted some more, clearly exhausted.

"Come with me" I ordered. He gave me a suspicious look but straightened up slowly, "I'll get you some water"

As we made our way through the studio we spoke, but I could barely hear what he said over the music, "You wouldn't believe how long I've been looking. Good thing I found Chiron."

"And he showed you here?" I assumed.

"Yeah, and I got stuck in traffic on the way. My mom doesn't usually let me borrow the car." He explained.

"Is she protective like that?" I asked.

Percy put his head down, "You can say that" he mumbled after a sigh. It seemed he wasn't comfortable talking about it, so I didn't pry. The last thing I wanted was to start this journey off on the wrong foot. That could be the worst thing that could possibly happen not just to me and him, but to our whole group, and possibly our whole record company.

Woah, slow down there, I thought as we made it into the lounge. I opened the mini fridge we had in there and tossed Percy a cold bottle of water. He drank the whole thing in about 8 or 9 seconds.

"That's nice" he said, his voice restored, as he threw the empty plastic bottle away to the garbage bin, "I really needed that. Thanks"

"You're welcome. The others are here, I'll get you introduced" I offered. Percy agreed and followed me to where Nico, Leo, and Frank were playing. His eyes immediately lit up at the little room Piper and I had set up a few days ago, specifically for rehearsals and just fooling around with music. There were some guitars and basses on the walls. We had to get some left handed instruments specifically for Nico. We got some of the top line amplifiers, speaker cabinets, and effect pedals. There was a big stack of cables in the corner. There was also a drum set which Leo was currently sitting next to. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was nice, warm and welcoming, if I don't say so myself. Sure, I'm boasting a little, but I think it turned out great, judging based on Percy's reaction.

"You really need to add some more pieces to this set" Leo complained and shook his head at me, "Is he like, your boyfriend, or something?" he asked and pointed to Percy. I blushed a little and so did Percy, but I shook it off quickly.

"No, Leo, he isn't my boyfriend. Guys, this is Percy Jackson, our lead guitar player. Percy, this is Frank, Nico, his sister Bianca, Leo, and this is my assistant songwriter Piper"

"What happened to 'my best friend'?" Piper asked me.

"I got bored of it" I answered as Percy's eyes wondered around the room.

"See one you like?" I asked him. His green eyes looked into my grey ones, one of the first times we made real eye contact. It was a very short, slight moment, but it was all I needed to tell they looked endless, like there was no telling where they ended or began. I instantly felt lost in his gaze. Luckily his words snapped me out of it.

"And I have to pick one?" he asked. Despite regaining my consciousness, I felt a little uncomfortable. I shifted my gaze to wall instead, hoping to avoid eye contact.

"You can try them all if you like"

"Sweet" he concluded, grabbed an instrument and set up next to the other players. Piper stood up from her spot and motioned for me to leave the room with her. I took one last glance to Percy, sitting with the others. They all seemed to click right away, already having arguments about which band has the best album aesthetics. I smiled and followed Piper to the lounge, away from the noise.

"So…what do you think?" she asked me. I assumed she referred to the guys in the rehearsal room. As worried as I was, they all managed to make me forget and just roll with things. It was a nice change for someone like me.

"They're great. Maybe this can work out after all."

Piper chuckled, "You know what I'm talking about"

I was dumbfounded, "No, I really don't"

"I saw how you looked at him" she said.

I blushed again and looked away from Piper, "It's not like that!"

"And the fact that you blushed like a tomato when Leo asked him if he's your boyfriend proves that, right?"

"Piper, I don't like him. I mean, he seems like a nice guy and all but I don't like him _that _way, okay? I just met him"

"The way you stared in his eyes? Proves it"

"You know I have trouble making eye contact with new people" I let out a lame excuse. There was no such thing with me. I wasn't in love with my eye color, but more than once I've been told grey eyes are intimidating, so I use it in my favor. It works well on getting guys away, mostly. "You're only making this more difficult for me".

"I think" she said, "There's a little part inside you that has a little something for him. You can go on and be stubborn and deny it, but I can see it. I can see you two going out some day."

"Just like you have nothing for Jason?" I challenged her. Jason is a friend of Piper's, a few months older than her, and was a jet pilot for her father Tristan. Ever since they met they've become very close, but Piper insists it's 'nothing'. Of course I never buy it. I can see through Jason. He isn't very good at hiding things.

"Drop it, Annie" she warned me.

"Fine, I'm sorry" I surrendered and lifted my hands up in fake innocence, "Let's go see where the others are"

_PERCY_

Any doubts I had before were absolutely erased. Being in the studio, around the other players, it felt like home. I've never really gotten to interact with other musicians before besides an old friend, so this was a breath of fresh air. It just felt natural, spouting out all these different terms that no one outside from the five of us would understand. It was a great click, and I could already tell making music with these guys will be a blast. How do I even begin to describe it? The rehearsal room was pack with gear. It was like Christmas for me. It had absolutely everything I could ever look for as a player. Top line products from brands like Fender, Gibson, Marshall, MESA Boogie, Ibanez, you name it, I played it that day. Every single guitar fantasy I had was pretty much fulfilled today.

The guys were nice too. Nico, the other guitarist, was great. While he doesn't do all that much talking, unlike Leo, and passes off a very gothish personality, he has very deep knowledge of music and music theory, a great memory, and a sense of humor. We hit off on a great stride. He could play any style of backing track for me to solo over. It was great having another guitarist around to be inspired from.

Leo, who I mentioned before, is the exact opposite. He's light hearted, loose, and funny. If I had to describe his looks, he looks like a runaway Latino Santa's elf. Curly brown hair that reminded me of my friend Grover, pointy ears, and a mischievous smile; his drumming skills were off the charts as well. The great thing about having him around is that he's fun to be with and he can bring light to any situation. When we got the chance to speak he told me he does a lot of custom work on his drum sets and he loves building and constructing new instruments for players, not just himself. He showed me a few pictures of new guitars he was working on, and from there I was hooked and knew we would never run out of topics to talk about.

Frank though, impressed me the most. It's weird, seeing a bassist influence a guitar player, but it was true. What shocked me most is that he could play the bass like a guitar, which is nearly impossible, since the strings are a lot thicker. His knowledge of both instruments also runs very deep, and he's passionate about music, almost as much as I am.

And then, there's Annabeth. I don't know what I could say about her. To be honest with you, if I wasn't sweating like a dog when I met her, I probably would've been drooling out the side of my mouth. She was absolutely stunning, breathtaking. Her hair, her eyes, the contours of her face, her voice, everything. And the best of all, we share the same interest and passion: music. Her talent as a musician is beyond anyone I've ever seen. Her leadership skills as well, her confident personality, all perfect for a musician. We were starting to connect together as a unit today, and it was a lot of fun.

At the end of the day, Annabeth and Piper gave us each a pair of keys to get in the studio anytime we wish. Everyone left on their own accord afterwards. I, however, wasn't done yet. I was still sitting in the rehearsal room when I saw Annabeth pass by the door.

"Hey" I called to her. She turned back to me, leaning on the doorway.

"Yeah?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Do you mind if I stay a little longer? I kind of feel bad that I didn't get stuff written before I came in"

Annabeth gave a small chuckle, flashing her sparkling teeth at me. "Yeah, it's fine" she said and sat in a chair in front of me, still smiling, and I could tell she was trying to hold laughter back.

"What's so amusing?" I asked her, smiling myself. I didn't mean it, but we just started cracking up. She was laughing at whatever made her laugh, and me? I was infected, I guess. "But seriously now, what's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" she said and put a hand over her chest, trying to even out her breaths, "It's just that we weren't going to start writing until tomorrow. It was just really funny that you asked". We shared another laugh before I plugged my equipment in.

"Show me something" she said. It caught me a little off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I really enjoyed your playing during the audition. It's not really my style, but I have to admit it was great. You seem like a creative player."

"And you want me to show you something?"

"Sure" she said.

"Anything specific?"

"Are you taking requests?" she asked with a smile, "But seriously, just anything."

"Alright" I said and thought to myself.

This seems like a no brainier, right? When someone asks me to play them songs, I just play whatever I learned recently or what comes to mind. But when Annabeth asked the same question I couldn't think straight. It took some time, but I finally made a decision.

I pressed some of the pedals on the floor in front of me and started playing. Ever since I got here and started playing, I heard a small buzzing in my ear that I was sure was being caused by the noise, but I didn't mind. For music, it was worth it.

"That was amazing" Annabeth complimented with a smile.

"Thanks"

"How long have you been playing?"

"I never thought about that" I answered as we both laughed. I sounded like an idiot but it was true. I got so lost in it that I never really considered how long I've been playing music. "Well, I'm 24 today, and I've been playing since I was 5, so…" I calculated in my head quickly before speaking, "Unbelievably, 19 years"

"That makes you sound really old" Annabeth joked and tried not to laugh in my face.

"Gee, thanks" I answered as we both laughed. "What about you?" I asked her as the laughter died down.

"What about me?" she asked.

"When did you start getting into music?" I asked. I looked in her eyes as she thought, admiring how beautiful they are. I swore I could see the gears moving inside her brain, processing her thoughts.

"I started playing piano, dancing and singing when I was 6. I think that's when I found my love for music. As I grew up I picked up on some acoustic guitar but I enjoy singing the most." She explained.

"You play guitar?" I asked in amusement. That was the part that caught my attention, for obvious reasons. If we get to compose some songs together during the writing process or just jam, I would feel complete.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I do. I'm just surprised, I didn't know you played an instrument. Now it's your turn to show me something"

Annabeth gave a small sigh but smiled, "Fine. But I'm not as good as you are"

"I'll be the judge on that one" I told her as she stood up and grabbed a guitar off its wall stand. She sat back down in front of me, made sure it was in tune, and started playing. It was a serenading, calming sound, one that I'm not used to from the type of music I normally play. Halfway through the song she was playing, I got a wild idea. I started playing on top of her music. I made sure my guitar wasn't too loud so I could still hear what she was playing. It was a nice little duet we were playing, just the two of us. And it was natural. She seemed to be getting the message as we gave each other small cues, taking turns leading each other with music, smiling and laughing the whole way.

As I struck one last note, signaling the end of our song, I turned my head and noticed Piper standing at the door, smiling at us.

"That was great!" she said. I turned back to Annabeth who was fixing her a quick look before she turned back to me.

"That was really fun" she said, that blinding smile back on her face, "We should do this more often"

"Definitely" I agreed.

This was going to be fun.

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><p><strong>AN: Instruments used in this chapter:**

**Percy's guitar - Ibanez UV777 (because it's Steve Vai and he's a legend and you should all go listen to him right now. Message me and i'll make recommendations. Not kidding.)**

**Annabeth's guitar - Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Studio Cutaway (because it looks nice?)**

**I thought about doing the same thing with instruments, just with songs:**

**First song used (Percy playing for Annabeth) - A Mercurian Summer by Angel Vivaldi.**


	7. Chapter 7

_Fire tests Gold: YOU, my friend, made me smile. You made me smile so much that you're the only person getting a response on this chapter. Well...and because there was a problem posting reviews on the last chapter_ **_(Thanks to my friend Smiles Burn in The Styx for confirming that for me)_**_. But seriously, thank you for letting me discover them.__ Those guys are actually really, really awesome. I never had an idea you could play a cello like they do and it's fascinating to see people innovate in music, especially because i'm not too big on anything that isn't a guitar. Now I take it it's my turn to recommend something. BUT, they still haven't had Synyster Gates in one of their songs, and he's my favorite, so they haven't earned my approval just yet. Que my non-existing, terrible evil laugh. _

_2,000 views! Thank you guys!_

_Got something to say? Leave me a review!_

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><p><strong>THE ROAD – CHAPTER 7<strong>

_Annabeth_

How do you even begin describing jamming with Percy Jackson?

It was a different experience for me, far from what I was used to from playing with Luke back home in San Francisco. Percy was on a completely different level, a whole other planet of his own. His knowledge of music was much deeper than I thought at first. His reactions to all the little cues and signals I was sending him, sometimes just by making eye contact, was fascinating. It was like he knew just what I wanted to say, registered it in his head, and came up with a riff of his own, all within the window of a second.

So how do I describe it? I don't think I can.

After Piper interrupted our little jam session, we spoke a little more about ourselves and our interests.

"The only other real interest I have besides music is swimming. I used to do it faithfully until I gave up and focused on music full time, when I was around 7. It was just too easy!" he told me.

I told him a little about my life back home and the fact that I like to read, write, sketch, and play music whenever I have free time. I didn't go too much into my family life. It wasn't exactly stable.

My parents were very controlling when I grew up. My mother Athena, an architect, and my father Fredrick, a surgeon, wanted me to be like them. I never quiet understood their reasoning; maybe because I was an only child, since my mother found out she was infertile shortly after she gave birth to me. I was told multiple times that they cherished me when I grew up and wanted me to be the best at everything that I do – more like what _they _wanted me to do.

But what did I do? When I was 10 months old I was already walking and talking, all on my own. My parents said it wasn't good enough, that I could've done it sooner. When I was 4 I could draw rough sketches of my mother's designs. She said they weren't accurate enough to the real thing. When I was 6 I started getting more into art with ballet, piano, and singing. Later I added violin and the guitar, along with some cello. My teachers showered me with praise, telling me I was a natural and a hard worker but my parents weren't impressed, despite how hard I tried. When I was 9 I decided to try and impress my mother again by constructing a model of the Tiger's Nest Monastery. She said it wasn't in a 'proper scale', and that the depth of the walls wasn't right. When I was 11 I had the entire periodic table memorized. They said I could've done more.

In short, my parents wanted me to a prodigy. A perfect girl who does no wrong.

For me to even try and get into music was a real hassle. Despite dancing and singing when I was younger, my dad said it served to 'sharpen my intellect'. I hate the way he phrased it because out of all of the things I've picked up over the years, it was the only one I truly enjoyed and had genuine fun doing.

I knew Luke and Thalia from a very young age. They're a few years older than me, but it didn't stop us from connecting and being best friends. We all shared the same love for music. It was around the time that I started ballet when they started playing instruments. Thalia played the bass, Luke played the guitar, and I sang. We didn't really write anything at first, just played for fun. When they came up with the idea of starting a small band, I was hooked. I was already practicing guitar with them secretly. My parents didn't know because they couldn't know. They would lock me in my room and tell me to study and focus on my future where I could be in a skirt somewhere, like Stanford or Yale, where I wouldn't enjoy a single bit of what I was doing.

I couldn't let it happen. So one day, I decided to muster up all the courage I had and fight back.

- _Flashback -_

_I was in my room the phone with Thalia. The band idea was really picking up speed within our small trio. _

"_Thalia, I can't" I told my best friend, "You know what my parents are like"_

"_Listen Annie, you have to tell them what_ you_ want. It's your life!"_

"_Thalia, I…I'm scared" I admitted to her. She was my best friend after all. We shared everything, the three of us, and didn't hide our fears. Besides, there wouldn't be a better person to talk to right now than Thalia._

"_Listen, you have to stand up for yourself. Yes, it's hard and your parents make me want to pee my pants when I look at them, but if you don't they'll just decide your future for you and I know for certain that's not what you want. You have to live your life like you want to live it." She told me._

_Something in my mind clicked. I don't know what made me do it but I said, "Okay. I'll call you back after dinner" into the line and disconnected. Eating hours in the house were strict. 7:00am was breakfast, 2:00pm was lunch, and 8:00pm was dinner unless my parents said otherwise. I walked down to the table and ate with them silently. I was grateful, because I had time to think about what I was going to say and do. Arguing with my parents wasn't so easy, one little slip up and they claim victory. When we all finished I broke the awkward silence._

"_Mother" I started, "I have to tell you something"_

"_What is it?" _

_I saw my mother's eyes narrow. My father put down the newspaper he was reading as they both looked at me. Whenever it was that I asked to speak with either of them, it was mostly of school. It was to confess to them that I got a bad test mark or showed up to class late or missed a homework assignment. This is one of the ways I realized grey eyes were intimidating. Staring into my mother's, which are just like mine, wasn't an easy task._

_And then I spoke. _

"_I want to be a musician" I said confidently._

"_No" my father answered first, very sternly._

"_Why?" I retorted. He looked at me in shock, since I never speak back to either of them._

"_Annabeth" he warned me. Despite that I stood up from my chair, letting my legs push it back._

"_My daughter is not going to throw away her education for something as silly as that. I will not let you sink down to those teenagers' level" my mother added._

"_Mother-"_

"_The answer is no, Annabeth" my father said._

"_Why are you denying me my dream?" I asked both of them. My mother stood up as well, eyeing me. _

"_Annabeth, I will not let you do that. I will not let you become one of them, all high and mighty while they drink and party and ruin their lives" She said._

"_Mother, I'm not like them!" I yelled, and I really wish I didn't. There was a shift in her eyes, the usual piercing grey becoming stormy and angry. I was shocked myself and had to stop my knees from failing me. That was the first time I yelled at her._

"_Annabeth Chase, you will not raise your voice at me! Now you will listen to me and you listen will to me well. The answer is no and that is the last we will talk of this matter!" My mother answered, her voice rising. I felt smaller under her gaze. But with some new found divine courage, I stayed standing._

"_Why?" I asked in a loud tone._

"_Because you're my daughter and-"_

"_Why are you so insisted on controlling my life?-"_

"_I won't let you throw-"_

"_You don't know what you're talking about-"_

"_A perfectly good future and-"_

"_You're denying me my dream!" I yelled, nearly screamed, after our small banter, which made my throat sting. Both my parents were left speechless. "Mother, I love music." I said, calming my tone trying to gain confidence despite how shaky my voice was, "It's what I want do. I want to make music, Mother. You always say that you love me but when I find something that I want to do, something that I'm happy with, you take it away from me. I never once felt the same love for architecture that I do for music. And I'm taking that offer. And you're not stopping me" I told them before going to my room._

- _End of Flashback -_

The next few days were horrific. My parents didn't speak a word to me until I told them I had a show. I didn't know why they even bothered but they showed up. And that's how my career began.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Wise Girl" Did I mention Percy already came up with a nickname for me? He has a nickname as well, Captain Guitar, which Leo gave him, since it's all he talks about. I didn't like it and bet Leo I could find him a better one.

"Stop calling me that" Also, did I mention I don't really like that nickname?

"You love that name" Piper told me and I couldn't resist the urge to smile, "See? She's smiling" she said to Percy, "Look, it's better than Owl Head" she turned back to me. She was right. That was an old nickname I got from Luke a few years back. I sighed as both Piper and Percy laughed.

"We're writing and recording tomorrow, right?" Percy asked us, his carrying case in hand.

"Yeah, of course" I answered.

"When should I be here?" he asked again.

"Well, I'll be here early, but knowing you guys, you'll probably be here by noon." I said. Piper gave a small smirk, "I'm referring to both of you" I added as her smirk became a pout.

"She knows me too well" Piper told Percy. Percy gave her a fist bump and did the same for me.

"I'll see you two tomorrow!" he called as he walked out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>THE NEXT DAY<strong>

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><p>"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Percy yelled from inside the control room. His fingers were already turning red and he seemed extremely frustrated with himself. He wrote a new solo last night, which we decided to record and save in case we decide to use it later. I didn't even keep track of how many times he's tried already, or how fast his fingers moved across all the different frets. This was one of the parts I admired about him – he was an absolute perfectionist, just like me. He wanted to get the part absolutely right and it seemed like he wasn't giving up anytime soon.<p>

"I can't stay in my own head for that long!" he added.

"Maybe you should take a break" I suggested. He eyes shifted to meet mine, glaring at me. He didn't seem satisfied. "Just a few minutes" I added.

"No, no, no" he said with his head in his hands, rubbing his temples.

"Percy, you need to calm down. Take a break" I told him, more sternly this time. He looked around the room, possibly for some support that wasn't coming.

"Fine" he sighed and picking his guitar off his lap and leaving the recording room and back to the control room. But instead of relaxing, he put the guitar back on his lap, playing through the same part slowly, over and over again as I watched.

"I'm going to see the others. Don't you dare step in there, Seaweed Brain" I told him.

He looked up at me, the frustration in his features replaced with amusement and a smile, "Seaweed Brain? What the hell is that?"

"_That _is your new nickname. I don't like the other one so I gave you this one and you're stuck with it" I answered with a smile of my own.

Percy shook his head and rolled his eyes, but he still had that mischievous smile on his face, "Whatever you say" was his answer.

It was an unfortunate time to leave and see what Piper was up to with the other players, because they were in the middle of some heated argument. Before Percy went to record his solo, he was with them, going over the rhythm sections of the same song he was soloing for. Apparently the guys, excluding Piper for obvious reasons, were having a war about which chord is played during one of the transitions. Just before I stepped inside, Piper walked out of the room.

"How long have they been at it?" I asked her.

"Why don't you go and ask them yourself?" she told me and disappeared toward where Percy was.

"No, it's this" Nico said to Frank, playing a short few chords on his guitar.

"No it's not!" Frank retorted, a guitar in his own hands, playing a different chord that didn't really sound all that different.

"No, you're both wrong. When I play this" Leo interrupted and played a part on the drums, "You come in with your part and then Percy and Nico join with their duel thing" Leo tried convincing Frank.

The 'duel thing' is another thing I loved about our band. Percy and Nico had a certain part in the song that we all just fell in love with instantly. Nico wrote it and Percy took it, changing some of the notes and harmonizing over it but playing the notes an octave or two higher, which resulted in them playing similar parts in a very ballad-like manner.

"All of you are wrong" a voice said behind me. Percy and Piper appeared with smiles on both their faces. Percy's was more of a grin.

"What are _you_ doing here?" I asked Percy, "We're not done recording your solo yet"

"Yes we are" Percy said and nodded over to Piper. I fixed him a glare which he shrugged off, "She let me"

"He gave me his puppy dog look" she tried reasoning with me. I was unimpressed, which she noticed, only raising my eyebrows. "You've never seen his cute dog face"

"Whatever" I answered. At least his solo was over with.

"Thanks for throwing me under the bus, dummy" Piper said to Percy, sarcasm all over her voice.

"You're welcome" Percy answered as he went over to the other players, instructing them how the parts are played perfectly. I couldn't help but stare at them, specifically him. He still awed me. He just looked so graceful when he was playing, his hands sweeping through all the strings and notes with ease, how he tapped his foot or bobbed his head back and forth in time with the rhythm, it was-

"Hello, Earth to Annabeth?" Piper interrupted me. I couldn't stop my face from flushing.

"You were staring" she told me. Thank god for the music in the room.

"No I wasn't." I resisted the urge to raise my voice, or our conversation would be overheard, "I wasn't. I was checking out his technique."

"'Checking out his technique?' Like you have anything to learn from him; he's a guitar genius, Annie." She teased me.

"Can you stop it?"

"Stop what?" She asked innocently, but my question was serious. I grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room. She protested and tried speaking, but I cut her off.

"I don't have anything for him" I told her. She smiled at me, teasing, and I had to resist the urge to slap her. I would've if she wasn't one of my best friends.

"What are you smiling at?" I asked her, which was a bad move, because now she was laughing. At what? Don't ask me, but as much as I love Piper, it was irritating. "Stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry" she said and wiped some tears out of her eyes, "It's just that you're so closed off, that's all"

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means your big brain is denying you your feelings. It's okay to feel something for someone. It's not a bad thing. You make it seem like it's a sin. You'll have to open up sometime, and how knows, maybe he'll end up being the one for you"

"But what if he isn't?" I retorted. There was some truth to what she was saying. But giving your heart to someone is a deadly weapon. In a way, it's like telling someone with a knife where your Achilles heel is. You give them the power to destroy you. I got too close, too dependent on old friends and when we had to part ways I was devastated. So in a way, yes, I put up mental blocks for my own protection.

"I'm not saying it's him, but it's bound to happen sometime. You'll find a guy and you'll fall head over heels for him." She said.

"I won't. It won't happen, Piper" I answered, trying to sound as confident as possible.

"Whatever you say" Piper shrugged and walked away. I was left in the hall of our studio with conflicting emotions, my thoughts running absolutely wild. Our conversation did more confusion to me than good, but one thing was certain to me now, more than ever.

I can't have feelings for Percy Jackson.

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><p><strong>AN: So...yeah. I had Percabeth feels today. If you read my other story, Finding the Old me, I definitely will not make the mistake of bringing them together so quickly like I did in that one. I'm hoping to base their relationship here more like how it went in the books. That's a big hope for me...This update was pretty quick, the next one may take a little longer. I was just excited.**


	8. Chapter 8

_Fire tests Gold: And you have no idea how much I smiled when I got your review, so thank you! It's true what people say, really. The best feeling is to get a new review. Sure, as a reader myself I love seeing authors I enjoy reading acknowledge my comments. But getting a review to me means more, because it means that whoever is reading this is enjoying it enough to leave a few words. It means that to that one person, I got the job done as a writer. About Percabeth being rushed - I made that mistake in my first story and I will not make it again unless it's intentional and fits how I want to construct the plot. This story definitely has a special place in my heart and I won't (well, at least try and not) mess it up. And about the other ships, I can say everything, but I won't say anything. I don't want to spoil too much of what's happening down the road (bad puns?). But thank you so much for reading! It means a lot!_

_Smiles Burn In The Styx - Believe it or not, this wasn't intended. It just kind of, happened, I guess. I didn't even notice until you pointed it out to me. I don't know if your Percabeth comment was sarcastic or not, I can't read your tone of voice, so i'll answer it. They'll have their moments. There are definitely plans for the two of them to come together. And I could explain the guitar in even more depth, but when I spit out terms and techniques like sweep picking and tapping, or when I go into more live stuff like monitoring rigs, or when I go into the construction of the guitar…you get the idea. You – and everyone else, unless you're a badass guitarist – probably has no idea what the hell I'm talking about. I'll keep it simple until I learn how to explain music properly or people tell me they want me to let loose. And about the duet thing, I don't think I explained it too well, so you can listen to the beginning of the guitar tracks to "Nightmare" by Avenged Sevenfold to get the idea of exactly what I meant. Thanks for reviewing!_

_manyotpsforlife - THANKS! It means a bunch!_

_PrincessMaleficent - Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying so far. In concern with the friendships, I guess that's what the tour's for, really. I definitely will try not to mess this one up. But the best written fic you've read? God, that's a lot of pressure..._

_thedarkwhiteangel - Thanks for reviewing! Expect a lot more Percabeth my friend. So much more._

_**Got something to say? Leave a review!**_

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><p><strong>THE ROAD – CHAPTER EIGHT<strong>

_Percy_

Being a musician is probably one of the most rewarding things someone could ever do.

And writing…

The entire writing process – especially the beginning of it - is just so satisfying. Sitting around and playing the instruments to construct your own music has been amazing for me so far.

I found out very early on that constantly thinking about writing a song will only cause pressure and not lead anywhere. I didn't realize how true that was until Annabeth mentioned it to me. She gave me a few tips as well. One of them was to just be loose and not think about writing, and it really helped me come up with new material. It was great knowing that what the others guys were playing and singing over were _my _riffs that _I _wrote.

On top of that, I've gotten to play a bunch of new guitars from new brands that I've never gotten to experience. It really gave me a new perspective on sound. Ever since I started taking music seriously and as a career option I've set myself a mission – find my perfect sound some day. That meant finding the ultimate instrument, a guitar that will be versatile enough to play high gain solos but also have a warm tone to play acoustic-type melodies.

But regardless of my disappointments with sound, I had fun. Well, fun doesn't begin to even describe it.

Nico and I were currently in one of the recording rooms, figuring out rhythm patterns. Frank and Leo were in another room, doing their own thing. This was all for a little challenge I issued them earlier.

- _Flashback -_

_"Keep playing that" I told Nico, who was strumming a very interesting chords in a pattern that just consumed me. I started playing a scale, improvising over his melody and just having fun with it. I could see his eyes, dark but pleased with my playing. His nods let me know I was getting somewhere. I wrote down the patterns on a piece of paper to my side, tapping my feet to the tempo we had set, just in case we'll decide to use it._

_"That was great, dude" he said as we put our instruments aside. We've already been playing for over 2 hours and the skin on our fingertips was peeling off._

_"We don't even need the other guys, we can do this on our own" I told him. How unfortunate I was._

_"Who doesn't need the other guys?" Frank asked as he came in the small room we were in. Leo stepped around him and circled around me, eyeing me up and down. It only made me feel awkward and uncomfortable as all three pairs of eyes landed on me. I didn't have an instrument, I couldn't escape to my own world and drown them out._

_"So you don't need us, huh?" Leo asked me._

_"Not what I meant" I grumbled and looked at him. He was at least a head shorter than I was, and the way he was sticking his chin out at me was hilarious._

_"It sure dang sounded like you did, Jackson" he snarled at me._

_"How's this then" I offered after shaking my head, "Nico and I are one team, you and Frank on the other. Whoever manages to impress the girls wins"_

_Leo and Frank both grinned and exchanged a look. I thought I could hear Nico walk away, slightly stomping his feet and letting out a big breathe._

_"You're going down, Jackson" he said with a smirk and offered a hand to shake, "I guarantee it"_

_"We'll see about that, Valdez" I said back. Our bassist and drummer turned around after high fiving, bickering about who knows what._

_"What the hell man?" Nico yelled at me as soon as the door closed, "Please tell me you have a plan and you can secretly play drums and have never told us"_

_"Nico-" I tried stopping him, but he was on a roll now._

"_Oh, I forgot, there's suppose to be a bass too!"_

"_Nico-"_

_"How are we supposed to be play without a drummer?"_

_"Just calm down, okay" I said and looked in his eyes. They were wide, panicked and hysteric. "I have a plan. Trust me with this one"_

- _End of Flashback -_

"How about this then?" I asked Nico and played a strumming pattern, making sure to add some muting with the palm of my hand to keep the sound from going out of control. We already had the chords figured out and we just needed a strong pattern.

"Nah, that won't work. It's too loose. How about this, though?" he said and played the same pattern, but let the chords ring out less, "Keep it a little tighter"

"It sounds great. We'll use it" I said as we stood up, putting our instruments away neatly and stretched out our arms and torsos. "That's it right? We have everything, I think"

"Yeah, we do. I still don't understand how you're planning to impress the girls."

"And I still don't understand why you're so unsure" I told him. He still looked tense, even through the jacket he was wearing I could see his shoulders were stiff. "Remember the plan, okay? It'll be easy. I trust you with your parts just like you're supposed to trust me with mine"

"Sure" he said, "Let's just get this over with"

We both left our little fortress, the designated guitar room. We saw the front door to the studio open, Annabeth and Piper both holding bags of food in their hands.

"Hey" we greeted them. We both stepped closer and offered taking their bags. Piper handed all of hers to Nico happily while Annabeth insisted carrying some on her own.

"We need you two for something" I told them as soon as the bags were down. They exchanged a look and followed us to where Frank and Leo were waiting, next to his massive drum kit.

"Is something wrong?" Annabeth asked us, so I explained the bet we placed with the other two players.

"And you need us to be judges?" Piper asked after my little rant.

"Yes. And you obviously know who to vote for" I told her with a smirk.

"Don't flatter yourself, Perce. We didn't even start and you already lost. You just don't know it yet" Leo taunted me. I shook my head as both Nico and I grabbed our instruments and plugged in. We took our seats in front of them and the show began.

_Annabeth_

"Any predictions on who's taking it?" Piper asked me. I was totally behind the idea of the boys competing. Maybe they can use this to inspire their writing.

"I don't know, Piper. I'm exhausted right now."

"By the way, do you mind if I invite Jason over?" she asked with her phone already in hand.

"Not really. I'll be home after this anyways."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked in a playful tone and with a smile, mocking shock and raising her brows.

"So I don't have to see you doing for the rest of the day" I told her and made a kissing face.

"Shut up" she blushed and dialed the number. When her call was finished she sat next to me on the couch and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. We snuggled for a while until the guys started playing.

"Let's win this quickly" Frank said confidently, Leo adding a smirk in Percy's direction. And they started.

Their melody was warm, thanks to Frank's bass playing. The synergy between him and Leo was great already, despite these being only the first days of them playing together. Each low note Frank played was synched perfectly with Leo's bass drum. It was really unique and the first time I've gotten to see anything like it. And I secretly have to thank them for keeping me from falling asleep on the couch.

At the end of their performance, Leo stood up and took a cocky bow towards us before grinning at the guitarists. Nico wasn't even looking at him and Percy just shot him a thumbs-down. He tapped Nico's shoulder, who looked up and nodded. They counted down with their feet and started playing. And then I noticed Piper freeze.

Their playing – Percy's at least – was lightning fast and the only word I could use to describe it accurately is cocky. He was flashing his skills at his competition, which was obvious. He used some techniques he's never showed me before, really digging his hands into the guitar and going all out. The high pitched notes sounded like they were screaming with each strum of Percy's hand.

Nico's part wasn't to be looked over either. His notes were deeper, most likely to compensate for the lack of drums and bass. They were both playing completely different things and just thinking about how they were doing it and keeping in tempo was making me disoriented.

There was another little detail I noticed during their entire performance, but it wasn't in their techniques. It was how they were seated. Because Percy was right handed, his guitar's neck was heading towards one direction while Nico's, being a lefty, was going in the other. That allowed them to sit next to each other. If they had the same dominant hand and they did the same thing, their guitars would bump into each other. It immediately made me imagine the two of them standing on stage and performing next to each other. I was excited, not a lot of bands had a unique duo like we do.

"They win" Piper rushed out quickly and ran over to Percy, flooding him with questions about god knows what. From all the laughing he did I could tell it was way too many questions for him to answer, even if he had all day.

"Come on, Annie, that wasn't unique." Frank told me.

"Yeah, you loved our part. You know you did" Leo added.

"Sorry, your part was amazing but I have to side with them. I mean, just look at Piper. She's literally drooling over his guitar" I said and pointed at Piper. The 2 boys gave me disapproving looks and grunted.

Then I heard the front door to the studio and Jason came in, same as I remembered him when I first met him. Big frame, tall, and muscles that weren't too bulky but you still wouldn't want this guy to throw a full force punch to your face. But what stood up the most was a scar on the edge of his lip from when he was 2 and tried to eat a stapler. I couldn't stop laughing when Thalia told me the story for the first time.

"Jason!" Piper called excitedly and ran over to the blonde boy. She threw her arms around him in a hug and dragged him into the room by his wrist, "Come on, I want you to meet some people"

"Whatever she told you, I'm not her boyfriend" Percy said as he shook hands with Jason. He got introduced pretty quickly, and being the ever friendly guy he was, got settled quickly. I snuck up behind him and put him in a choke hold.

"You won't even come say 'Hi' to me?" I yelled at him as he stood up from his seat and tried shaking me off. He reached back and tickled my side which made me lose my grip and fall back down to the floor.

"Hey, Annabeth" he said with a smile and gave me a quick hug.

"Hello, Jason" I answered before we parted. I went over to Piper next who was sitting next to the guys like an excited infant.

"I'm going home, make sure they behave" I told her and didn't wait for a response as I turned back around and exited the place. I was too exhausted to get any work done. That could wait for later.

Time passed in a breeze as I entered my apartment. It was the same one I got when I first moved. It wasn't special and nothing was too big, even though with my architecture background, I do plan on moving to a more unique place someday. I just plopped on top of the bed, not even worrying about changing my clothes because honestly, it didn't matter. Ignoring the buzzing of my phone and the faint sound of New York traffic, I fell asleep.

I woke up some time later, around 11pm. I got up, stretched, and took a calming shower before dressing myself and leaving for the studio. It's never too late for music.

The streets were awfully calm tonight, unlike others were people are partying and the streets feel more condensed. I was never a party girl so I was never worried about staying up late at night.

I made it to the lobby of the building and flashed the security guard my ID card. He, of course, let me into the building. I quickly made my way up to the studio, already tapping out beats on my knees and thinking of rhythms in my head before I even got to the right floor. I fished my keys out when I was in front of the door and opened it. But what surprised me was the sound of an acoustic guitar coming from the inside. The calming melody, the beautiful and serenading chords gave me a good idea of who it was. I took steps toward the sound and stepped into the room expecting Nico, but instead it was Percy. Before he even noticed me he played another short tune.

"I never saw you as a guy who plays these types of songs" I interrupted as soon as he stopped. He jumped in his seat and turned to face me, his face slightly red.

"You scared me" he said over my laughter. He then looked down at the guitar on his lap, "Well, I have to start somewhere, right?" he asked, more rhetorically than seriously.

"How long have you been here?"

"I never left. My mom called a few times but I keep telling her it's never too late for music" he said as I chuckled.

"That's exactly what I say" I responded and we fist bumped, smiling at one another. Percy put the guitar away neatly and cracked his knuckles.

"Any new ideas?" I asked Percy with his arms stretched over his head, making the bottom of his shirt ride up and-

No. Stop it, Annabeth, control yourself.

"Not really" he said and I turned myself around nervously, pretending to be busy with the strings of one of the guitars on the wall to hide my red cheeks. "Well I kind of have a few surprises. I have a feeling you'll like one, but you have to wait. It's not quite finished yet" he said.

When I heard the sound of a guitar being mounted on the wall stand I took it as an 'all-safe' signal to turn around again. "I did kind of have one" I said with one of my notepads, full of new and old lyrics, in hand.

"And?"

"It's a cover. We can record it now but I need your help" I said to him. The excitement in his eyes gave me the answer.

"Let's do it, then!" he said and left the room, heading for the control room. I shook my head but followed him nonetheless.

"So what is it?" he asked while lying back in the big office chair.

"I need someone to back me up when I sing. Can you play Demons for me?" I asked. Percy smiled and plugged in his instrument, readying up. He sent me a signal, a nod which I returned after putting the headphones on, and the instrumental for the track came on. The beginning was silent, so Percy helped count me in and keep me on time.

* * *

><p><em>When the days are cold<em>_  
><em>_And the cards all fold__  
><em>_And the saints we see__  
><em>_Are all made of gold_

_When your dreams all fail__  
><em>_And the ones we hail__  
><em>_Are the worst of all__  
><em>_And the blood's run stale_

_I wanna hide the truth__  
><em>_I wanna shelter you__  
><em>_But with the beast inside__  
><em>_There's nowhere we can hide_

As I sang I saw Percy smile and fumble for a guitar, plugging himself in quickly.

_No matter what we breed__  
><em>_We still are made of greed__  
><em>_This is my kingdom come__  
><em>_This is my kingdom come_

_When you feel my heat__  
><em>_Look into my eyes__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide_

_Don't get too close__  
><em>_It's dark inside__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide_

_At the curtains call__  
><em>_It's the last of all__  
><em>_When the lights fade out__  
><em>_All the sinners crawl_

_So they dug your grave__  
><em>_And the masquerade__  
><em>_Will come calling out__  
><em>_At the mess you've made_

At this point my eyes were closed, slightly bouncing at the balls of my feet and focusing intently on the music.

_Don't wanna let you down__  
><em>_But I am, hell bound__  
><em>_Though this is all for you__  
><em>_Don't wanna hide the truth_

_No matter what we breed__  
><em>_We still are made of greed__  
><em>_This is my kingdom come__  
><em>_This is my kingdom come_

_When you feel my heat__  
><em>_Look into my eyes__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide_

_Don't get too close__  
><em>_It's dark inside__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide_

_They say it's what you make__  
><em>_I say it's up to fate__  
><em>_It's woven in my soul__  
><em>_I need to let you go_

_Your eyes, they shine so bright__  
><em>_I wanna save that light__  
><em>_I can't escape this now__  
><em>_Unless you show me how_

_When you feel my heat__  
><em>_Look into my eyes__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide_

_Don't get too close__  
><em>_It's dark inside__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide__  
><em>_It's where my demons hide_

* * *

><p>"YES!" Percy yelled from the control room, which I could hear through my headphones, as soon as the music stopped. I smiled widely, some butterflies in my stomach as I stepped out of the room. It was technically the first time he heard me sing.<p>

But why was I getting giddy on the inside?

"That was fantastic" he said as I blushed.

"It was okay"

"I'm saving it" he said and pressed a few buttons on a laptop next to him.

"No you're not!"

"Yes, I am" he said casually, going to press the 'Save' button. I grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from the mouse before tripping him to the floor.

"What was that for?" he asked while lying on his back, "Why are you so nervous anyways? That was really good" he said.

"You know what? You can save it." I said as he grinned and stood up, "But!" I stopped him and he shot me a look, "It's your turn to record something"

He smirked at me and hit 'Save', "Challenge accepted" he then clicked on a few other folders, one called 'Backing tracks' inside another one that was labeled 'Percy'. He clicked on one of the files and the computer opened it as he grabbed a guitar and literally bounced into the recording room.

"I'll count down, just hit play for me" he instructed, took a seat and snapped his fingers. On the fourth beat, perfectly, I hit play. Whatever it is he played, improvisation or not, it was incredible. The added music from the track in the background really gave it a certain punch. With 2 final chords he ended his performance and grinned at me.

"That was every technique I know how to do" he said as soon as he was out of the recording room.

"That's not that many" I teased back.

"Would you like to try?" he asked and handed me a guitar.

"Would you like to try and sing?" I retorted.

"I'll let you know now, Mrs. Chase, that _my_ voice is pretty damn good" he said confidently.

I didn't believe him. Which led to the two of us goofing around in the studio the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Chapter 8 is here! I'm not too sure about this one. I don't think I explained the way Percy and Nico are sitting next to each other too well, but if you look up pictures of Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance playing on Google, you'll understand what I meant if you haven't already. But there are so many things I cannot wait to share with you guys. Here's to hoping you'll enjoy them!**

**Nico's guitar: Schecter Zacky Vengeance 6661 LH**

**Percy's guitar: Schetcer Synyster Custom-S (Because I felt like Avenged Sevenfold today)**

**Frank's Bass: Fender American Deluxe J-Bass**


	9. Chapter 9

_Dawnwizard8010: Thanks for reviewing! And yeah, Demons is great and so are Imagine Dragons in general. They're creative and fun to listen to, which is always a good plus not many bands have._

_Smiles Burn In The Styx: I really do hope they make sense. Did the 'Percy-and-Nico-sitting-next-to-each-other' thing make sense? And about Thalia and Luke, I can spoil it for you, but what's the fun in that?_

_TheHydrokinetic: Thanks for reviewing and I really do hope you'll be enjoying the rest. I don't usually update quickly, just when I have a great idea and get it written. If I can't sleep at night because of the excitement to share, then I update. But I definitely don't have a definitive posting schedule, I just try and keep it every 5-7 days and if i'm lucky I stick to it._

**_Got something to say? Leave a review!_**

**_So before we begin, a few questions:  
>1. Would you be interested if I add the songs I was listening to while writing?<br>2. Are there any personal requests for songs that you want to see added in to the story?_**

**_Let me know!_**

* * *

><p><strong>THE ROAD – CHAPTER NINE<strong>

_Annabeth_

You can publish a whole book and fill it with the adventures and stories we shared while writing this album.

This was my first album recording with other musicians in the studio and the experience was unbelievable. Being able to feed off the other guys and get inspiration from them really helps with writing and singing. The only time I had writer's block during this entire process was because there were just too many ideas floating around. All of them were good, so we recorded every single one.

At the end of the day we had around 32 tracks but only 14 made the final cut. What we agreed on as a whole was to release some cover songs as well. Everyone came to an agreement that they remind us of our beginnings. It personally reminds me of playing my first show with Thalia and Luke.

And the most important thing, the whole time we had so much fun it was crazy. And so many great things happened to all of us, all at once.

Leo found himself a new habitat and hobby, the Olympus Studios workshop, or Valdez' Lair as Frank calls it. He also found himself a new friend, Charles Beckendorf. Every single minute he isn't in the studio recording, he's in there constructing all matters of crazy things like speaker cabinets, guitars, basses, new drum sets, microphones, amplifiers, effect pedals, and so on. You name it and they can make it for you with a little extra touch.

Both he and Beckendorf are great with set ups and sound engineering, too. We found this out later and offered Beckendorf to be our main stage tech on the tour, which he agreed to. His job, along with other tech members, would be to swap out Percy's and Nico's guitars and Frank's basses. They also check that the instruments and microphones are all plugged into the systems properly so we can actually play. There's so much more I couldn't even keep track.

His drum riffs on the album were fantastic as well. It was mostly him that came back with groovy drum pattern for Percy, Nico, and Frank to lay their own work over. He, I learned, was the most flexible player in our band. When I got the chance to work with him on one of the songs, he gave me so many options of tracks to lay my voice over, and all of them fit the other parts we already had recorded. He could change a pre-existing riff and not throw our other players off.

Frank seemed to be developing synergy with every single player in our group. He even found a nice groove with me, and being the main vocalist, I was pleasantly surprised. His techniques only seemed to be improving every day and he even picked up on a little guitar from Nico on the way, which he claims only helps sharpen his bass playing. I haven't gotten that much time to work with him, just the two of us, but I knew that he would get noticed immediately for his playing. Bass players tend to be under appreciated in bands, but I had total belief that Frank was going to shatter that.

Nico was the next on the list. He was with Leo a lot, and so was Frank, designing and creating new and crazy instruments. He had this one guitar made, a design he said his sister inspired him with, that looked like a big shattered mirror across the entire body. The cracks were so realistic that when he showed me, he flipped the guitar and I was so afraid the pieces were going to fall off that I reached out and grabbed it. Which made him laugh at me.

Working with him was different then working with Percy. While Percy was more focused on solo and lead guitar work, Nico had insane creativity with strumming patterns. He could take the same riff and play 4 times. When you listen back, it'll sound like 4 different riffs, even though they're fundamentally the same.

And last, Percy. I knew working with this guy was going to be a blast from the moment we first met and I saw him play in person. His guitar work on the album was absolutely mind boggling. His creativity with solos and scales was off the chart. He could also sit for a few short minutes, learn the parts to a new song by heart, and then improvise a solo for it. And he did it all effortlessly.

_That _good.

One time I dared him to try something that was absolutely crazy. He sat down for a day and worked tirelessly until his back nearly bent over and broke. But when he was done and showed us a demo of his work it was so off the rails it was frightening, and he said he might even have trouble to play it live. When the time came to record it, he had to do it in parts and then piece it together carefully.

He really, truly was just _THAT _good.

And when all those personalities clashed together in one big jamming session, it was evident. We were on the right path.

_- FLASHBACK -_

_"What are we playing?" Leo asked as he sat down next to his drumset, the rest of us following him inside._

_"I say Van Halen" Percy pointed out._

_"You just played Van Halen for 3 hours straight, I'm sick of it" Frank said from his seat as we were all plugging in our instruments._

_"But it was good, wasn't it?" Percy asked in a somewhat playful-cocky tone, "You know you liked it, Frank"_

_"Shut it, Perce" Frank retorted as Percy shifted his attention to the amp in front of him, fiddling with the settings._

_"We're playing Wicked Stone" Nico threw in._

_"I'm for it" I added quickly so the guys wouldn't argue. If they did, we would never come to an agreement until one of them budges, and they never do. All three boys muttered something each to themselves, shrugged in approval, and sat back down. Leo started playing, counting us all in, and Percy soon joined followed by Frank and then finally Nico. Just like the song goes, they built it up slowly until the verse came in and I sang._

* * *

><p><em>Last night in paradise<em>  
><em>I can feel it down in my bones<em>

_Left the good Lord behind_  
><em>Now I die on the vine<br>__Waiting for my redemption song_

_I am never safe  
><em>_Just a walking bomb  
><em>_In a midnight rage_

_And I'm gone_

_I'm getting off this wicked stone_  
><em>'Cause I can't stay and I can't deny that<em>

_All I want is lost  
><em>_No I can't face another night on this wicked stone_

_I rolled and tumbled down_  
><em>And I cursed till the morning light<em>

_From the mountain I fell_  
><em>To the depths of a hell<br>__I was destined and born to find_

At this point the song was in full swing, but Piper decided to join me and we goofed it up together as the music started ramping up.

_Once a rolling stone_  
><em>Now a falling star<br>__Once so close to home_

_Now so far_

_I'm getting off this wicked stone  
><em>_'Cause I can't stay and I can't deny that_

_All I want is lost  
><em>_No I can't face another night on this wicked stone_

_Now you might say I'm good for nothing_  
><em>And I might say that you are right<em>

_Cannot crawl away_  
><em>From this ball and chain<em>

_It's got me tethered to a world of pain_  
><em>I'm digging my own grave this time<em>

_On this wicked stone tonight_

There was small interlude which signaled a break for me, leading into Percy's solo. It wasn't as crazy as other things I've seen him do, but it was definitely nice and warm, fitting the song.

_I'm getting off this wicked stone_  
><em>'Cause I can't stay and I can't deny that<em>

_All I want is lost_

_No I can't face another night on this wicked stone_

It was now that Percy, Nico, Frank and Leo allowed themselves to get more imaginative. They seemed to be improvising with each other in the spirit of the song, and it sounded as if the parts were written all along and well rehearsed. With a final few notes, the performance came to a close.

_(Song: Wicked Stone by Slash)_

* * *

><p><em>- END OF FLASHBACK - <em>

We definitely were on the right track.

But the biggest surprise came from an impromptu karaoke contest that Piper arranged one night. I found out that every single person in the band had a good voice, Piper excluded. I've heard her sing before, so I decided to force the guys to do backup vocals.

"You're kidding me"

"That was a fluke"

"I'll never be able to do that again"

"I'm not singing"

Those were their excuses. But Piper and I used a little 'magic' and made them do it. I thought it turned out really well.

The album was recorded and mixed in 7 months. And soon we'll be hitting the road to promote it.

It wasn't before this that I realized how big the tour will actually be. That's why Chiron told me to meet him, so he could show me around the tour bus and just give me general pointers on what to do while we're out on the road.

"I'm going to Mr. Brunner, are you coming?"

"Nah, I have to go somewhere. I'll see you later" she said.

"See ya" I said as I made my way downstairs to where Mr. Brunner was supposed to meet me. I waited for a few good minutes in the lobby until I saw his figure rolling his wheelchair towards me. I used to offer to help him when we first met, but he never let me, so I gave up asking. We shared our usual greeting and then made our way to the back of the building to a parking lot. Mr. Brunner nodded his head and rolled his wheelchair towards some of the biggest buses I've ever seen in my life.

"And this, my dear, is your tour bus" he said, pointing to one of them. I couldn't contain the wild grin on my face. The vehicle was massive. Mr. Brunner must've noticed me frozen because he tugged on my arm lightly, motioning to the door.

"I'm afraid they don't have wheelchair access, so I cannot get inside with you. Go on" he said. I nodded and skipped over to the door, excited to get inside. As it slid open and I made my way up the narrow stairs, my jaw dropped.

The interior was very modern looking but still had such a homey feel. Right in front of the steps the driver's seat and to the left of it, a door. As I stepped inside I immediately saw two white leather sofas and the missing armrests made them look like fancy and modern diner booths on either side of me. The floor was black and spread all across the bus that complimented the color scheme well. Right next to the couch on the right was a small table and another small booth-like seat in front of it with a TV screen above it. To the left was a small, kitchenette-like counter with a sink, a coffee machine, a microwave and some overhead storage cabinets in addition to the many ones already over the bus. I pulled on the handles underneath and discovered a slide-out mini fridge and a garbage chute next to it. A door to the right of the living area led to a small, compact bathroom with a toilet and sink. Deeper inside the bus were bunk beds, eight to be exact. I opened up one of the cover curtains and laid down, testing out the mattress. It was surprisingly comfortable and I felt my body start to melt into it. But then I realized I have a bus to explore. I got up and advanced further inside. There was another room to my left, this one containing a shower and a sink with a small mirror in front of it. And the last part, the very back of the bus, I assumed was a lounge area. There were two sofas, one to my right and one up ahead of me. To my left was a desk with a chair next to it for work purposes. And finally, a lounge wouldn't be complete without a TV.

I was left in shock. This was where we were going to stay for the upcoming months, constantly crashing and sleeping here after doing shows. I wanted to stay and admire, but Mr. Brunner was waiting for me. It was unfair to keep him outside, alone, just like that. I stepped out of the bus and he was there waiting for me with a warm smile.

"How is it?" he asked.

"It's amazing. It's like a home" I responded. We then both made our way inside where he said he had a few things to show me. They were mostly big boxes for instruments, speakers, and gear in general.

"I think Percy might need two of these" I said and motion to one of the big touring case. It had big door with a lock and a padded storage area on the inside, with space for 10 instruments. There was also two addition small drawers on the bottom for storage. Mr. Brunner only smiled at my comment as we kept going through all of the gear boxes.

"We'll have to pack all these soon, huh?" I asked Mr. Brunner.

"Oh, yes. But we'll be here to help. Don't take too many things with you, this isn't a world tour yet." His comment made me laugh.

"Tell the others that" I said after our combined laughter died down, "All I need is this" I said and reached for a random microphone that was thrown about, "Some clothes and a few of my guitars."

Next we went through all of the tour dates together. And as I said earlier, due to the large demand in tickets, this tour was bigger than I had expected.

"This is just an example outline of a set list I came up with for you, but you can add whatever you wish" Mr. Brunner said and handed me a piece of paper. It was just a list, numbered 1-20, with a solo break in between.

"That's for Percy isn't it?" I asked. Mr. Brunner didn't even need to see what I was referring to, he just smiled. But it was nice to know that you have a guitarist who you can just give 10 minutes to stand out there alone, play and run with whatever he wants, and distract the crowd while the rest of the band takes a breather.

That also reminded me that I haven't seen him in a long time. He usually is in the studio, nonstop. Sometimes he even sleeps in there, but I haven't seen a trace of him in a little over a week. After I finished going through everything with Mr. Brunner, I decided to give him a call. I didn't get an answer the first time so I tried again, and again and again.

No response. Where could that Seaweed Brain possibly be?

_Percy_

"That was fun" I said to Piper as we stepped out of the building we were just in. Where were we? Let's just say its a little special surprise I'm saving for later.

"I'm glad you're happy with it. They were really nice about it too" she added as we continued our walk down the street.

"You want some coffee?" she asked me as we stopped in front of a local Starbucks. I looked up at the green sign hesitantly, I'm not really a coffee person, but shrugged and followed her in nonetheless. Now that our album was out, life wasn't going to be the same. I was prepared for it ever since I signed on to this almost 8 months ago. But I didn't think it would consume me as much as it did.

I didn't know how to handle the fame. I was considered a quiet kid in school, the one nobody took interest in, and that was fine by me. Now that I was bound to be appearing on billboards and award shows in the future, I don't really know how I would deal with the celebrity status. It's a challenge I need help with, so I asked the first logical person I could.

"I'm going to order, do you want anything?" Piper asked me.

"Just water would be nice, thanks Pipes" I said. She smiled at me and went over to stand in line as my phone buzzed in my pocket, my ringtone blasting. I looked at the caller ID.

'Mom'

I picked up quickly and answered, "Hey" I said into the receiver. But instead of hearing mom's voice, it was Tyson.

"Percy!" he yelled into the phone so loud I thought the people next to me might hear him as if they were taking the call instead of me.

"Hey, Tyson. How's everything, big guy?" I asked him with a smile.

"Tyson had fun! We went to the aquarium to see the fishes and then we went to get ice cream!..." And then he went on a big rant, detailing every single part of every single day of the past week to me.

"And then the giraffe licked daddy's hand!" he said and laughed into the phone. "But it wasn't as fun without Percy there" he said as his tone changed. I could feel him disappointed through the line; he didn't even have to ask his next question.

"Why didn't Percy call Tyson?"

I didn't have an answer. No answer would be able to justify what I did. I was so madly focused on my goal, on my dream of making music, that I was forgetting my brother. From when we used to talk every single day, checking up on each other, it was nearly six months since we last spoke. Six months. How could I do such a thing to my brother?

"Look, Tyson, I'm-" I started but right then Piper was making her way over to the table with a pair of bags and coffee cups in her hands.

I sighed. I'll have to give him another lame excuse, which only made me feel worse.

"I'm sorry, buddy. But I'm busy right now. I'll call you later. Percy promises, okay?"

"Okay" his tone picked up a little, "Bye, brother" he said and closed the call abruptly. I didn't notice but Piper was already in front of me.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Nothing important" I lied. This was the exact of opposite of 'nothing important'. Tyson is everything to me. Of course it was important.

"You look moody. Did something happen?" she asked again, concern in her tone. I made a quick audible move in my head and changed the subject from Tyson to the question I was originally going to ask her.

"It's just that I got stuff on my mind, the whole fame thing." I explained, "I'm a little nervous, you know?"

"I get what you mean" she said as she opened a small pack of sugar, dumping it into her coffee.

"How'd you do it?" I wondered.

"What do you mean, exactly?" she asked curiously. I leaned closer to her so no one else could overhear us. The look on her face changed as if she knew what I was going to say before I did. I guess it happens when you know each other so well.

"I mean with your parents. Your dad's is one of the biggest hits in Hollywood and your mom has some of the biggest fashion campaigns going across the world. How do you stay so hidden? No one notices you."

We studied each other's faces for a moment before she looked down at her cup, stirring the liquid inside absentmindedly as she thought. Then she looked up back up and spoke.

"I get that you're scared of it all. It's too uncertain and unclear to be sure of anything. But with me…well I kind of disappeared. No one wondered if the great Aphrodite or Tristan McLean ever had a daughter. So it's easy for me to stay under the radar. But for you it'll be different. You'll be out touring very soon. You'll be performing on stage in front of thousands of people and getting recognition all over the country, maybe even the world, whether you like it or not. You can't avoid it no matter how hard you try. But that's what we signed up for isn't it?"

As much as I dreaded what she was telling me, I wasn't mad. Every single word was right. This _was _what I wanted to do ever since I was young.

"Look, the best advice I can give you is to embrace it and be yourself. Just follow your heart and do what's right. But just know it won't be easy. The press is a dirty, dirty business. The same people that watched you rise to the top in weeks will be the same ones to trip and make you fall back down all those stairs you spent such a long time climbing."

I stared at her for a moment after her long speech. It was no secret I enjoyed her company. She was definitely fun to be around. I never knew she was this experienced with these matters even with her choosing to be away from her parents and giving up that life.

"That was profound" I said, trying to lighten the mood. She smiled at me.

"Well, I can be a little philosophical too" she said as we finished our drinks, chatting about absolutely everything.

"Are you going home?" she asked as soon as we stepped out of the small shop.

"No, I got somewhere to be. You?" She stretched her arms over her head before bringing them back down and shaking them.

"I think so. I'm tired" she explained. She drew me into a hug which I returned before we parted ways. I thought about calling Tyson back, but this wasn't the place. I would have to wait to get some private time before I could bring myself to speak to him again.

I made my way to the edge of the street and hailed the first cab I could find to take me to my destination. As soon as I got inside I gave the driver the address and made a call on my phone.

"I need help with something"

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><p><strong>AN: Oh, the suspense! **

**This took a little longer to update, I've just been a little stuck sorting out my ideas. I just have so many great ones it's become a jumbled mess. Hope you enjoyed! And i'm now officially a beta, for those interested.**

** Any guess on the mystery character / its role?**

**Songs:  
><strong>**Band jam: Wicked Stone by Slash (obviously)  
><strong>**The solo Annabeth dares Percy to play: Something along the lines of the solo from 'Scream' by Avenged Sevenfold. Just something blistering and completely insane.**

**Guitars:  
><strong>**Nico's custom guitar - Zacky Vengeance Mirror Custom.  
>During jam session - Gibson Les Paul Tradition 2014<br>**

**Percy's custom guitars -  
>1. Ibanez Heart Triple Neck.<br>****2. Tosin Abasi 'Blur'.  
><strong>**During jam session - Slash 'Appetite for Destruction' Gibson Les Paul Custom. **


	10. Chapter 10

_Dawnwizard8010: Thanks for the love. I appreciate it._

_Smiles Burn In The Styx: I really do hope it's explained well. Hopefully all this Thaluke suspense will be released soon. Thanks for reviewing._

_thedarkwhiteangel: Thanks. If you want a video of what I based it (copied) off of look up Joe Don's tour bus on YouTube._

_ThatHydrokinetic: Thank for the review. Matchbox Twenty though..._

_Hooves. : I've been thinking about it, I might but i'm not sure yet. Thanks for the review._

_CassylovesPercabeth: Thanks. I hope you'll enjoy the rest._

**_Got something to say? Leave a review!_**

**_There is a custom instrument included in this chapter, but if you want an actual picture you can go to my profile, a link will be up there for you to enjoy. _**

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><p><strong>THE ROAD – CHAPTER TEN<strong>

_Percy_

Driving to the outskirts of New York isn't very fun. It's a long drive and being stuck in the back of a taxi that smells like the past 100 passengers that have sat in it wasn't the brightest of situations. At least I had a ride though.

I smiled as we got closer. The big mansion was the same as I remember it.

"That's it right there" I told the driver and pointed forward in the direction of the big house.

"Are you sure, kid?" He asked.

"Yes" I told him and reached in my pocket to pull out my money as the vehicle came to a halt. I paid up and exited the door, walking toward the ancient looking door. I rang the bell and waited for an answer.

"Oh, Percy!" the butler, Thomas, greeted me with his thick British accent and one of a kind smile that could make everyone feel at home. "It's such a pleasure to finally see you again"

"And mine as well" I said, "I assume you know what I'm here for"

Thomas smiled at me and motioned to the stairs, "You know the way. And what is that you're carrying?"

"A surprise" I said, smiled, and then made my way downstairs. The inside of the residence hasn't changed either, from what I remember. The wide stairwell was still the same, white walls surrounding me as they led me down to my destination. A big door with doodles covering it greeted me, just like I remember it.

I didn't even bother knocking because the person on the other side wouldn't care. I knew that individual all too well. As I admired my surroundings I realized the studio hasn't changed much either, just some new artwork and photographs on the walls. A row of big shelves to my right and tables with all matters of materials on the left told me that the person hasn't changed much either. There were so many rooms and things I wanted to see, but there was still work to do.

One of the doors to the next room was opened as I sprinted to find a suitable hiding spot. I heard some faint footsteps coming in my direction. The person took a left turn, right in front of me, and sorted through the shelves, looking for something. I knew that person. Dark skin and hair, eyes of the matching color…

"Guess who?" I said as I sprung out of my hiding spot and covered the person's eyes. She jumped and separated herself from me which spread a huge grin on my face.

"What do you want you-" she started yelling but stopped as she met my eyes. A switch in her head flicked and her anger and fear was replaced with happiness.

"Percy!" she said as she jumped and hugged me tightly.

"Hazel!"

"It's really you!" she said as she squeezed me even harder.

"Of course it's me" I said as she let go of me. She shoved me lightly, making me stumble backwards.

"Where have you been for so long?" she asked.

"I've been busy, a lot of stuff's been happening" I told her.

"Busy being what, a mega rockstar?" I stood there in slight shock for a minute. I never told anyone of my friends that I was part of a band because I didn't get the time to.

"How'd you-"

"Parents"

I rolled my eyes at her, "Of course" I muttered.

"And I'm your friend, stupid. You should be expecting this by now" she added. We spoke for a few minutes, catching up on old times until she-

"What' that in your hand?" she said and reached over to it.

"No!" I said and created distance between us, "That's a surprise"

"You're showing me!" she said.

"Who's showing you what?" another voice said behind me. I turned around and came face to face with a pair of green eyes and frizzy red hair. She smiled, bigger than I've ever seen her, and ran to me, throwing her arms around my body in a hug.

"Percy! Oh my god, you're alive!" she said while laughing, "I know you called but I didn't think you would actually show up!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked her.

"It means this!" Hazel said and pried the grip of my hand open. My other arm was around Rachel so I couldn't use it to defend against her.

"Hey!" I called to a fleeing Hazel as Rachel held me back, "Come on, RED, let me go"

Hazel got further and further away and put the case on one of the tables. Rachel finally let me go and walked over to where she was.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Percy said it's a surprise" Hazel said and undid the latches around the casing. She opened it as both girls' eyes widened, looking at the instrument.

"Woah" they said together as their eyes scanned the guitar. A quilt maple body with translucent sky blue paintjob. A pearl pickguard right under the strings and pickups. The neck, made of maple, had trident inlays on the frets. Gold hardware and a naturally glossed top finished the job. _My_ guitar.

"Who designed this?" Rachel asked.

"I did" I told them, my eyes still locked on the instrument. It's my perfect creation. The process was quick as well because I knew exactly what I wanted. It gave me the perfect sound and tone and allowed me to play absolutely everything, from shredding fast guitar solos to warm and clean chords.

"Don't screw with me, Perce." Rachel warned.

"I'm not! You don't believe me?"

Her eyes went from me, to the instrument, met with Hazel's for a quick moment before coming back to mine.

"You…"

I laughed at her astonishment, "Yes, I got a signature deal and designed it"

Before I knew it both girls tackled me in a huge hug that nearly made me fall to the floor, but a small sprawl with my feet helped me stay up.

"That's amazing! How long's it been?"

"About 2 weeks" I answered after they let me go. I explained to them that I wasn't just a guitar, but a complete line of gear: An amplifier, a speaker cabinet, even a strap and a pick. "I've been going nearly every day"

"And you need our help, how?" Rachel asked me.

And that's how Rachel and I found ourselves standing in front of a blank wood of the guitar. Hazel left sometime earlier. I got a few extra models, specifically unpainted and without any hardware, so we can have some fun with the paint.

"Are you sure you're ready for this Perce?" Rachel asked me.

"Ready? RED, I was born ready" I said, still looking at the instrument until I felt some paint hit my face. I turned to face a grinning Rachel.

"Bet you weren't ready for that, were you?" she asked me and hit me with more paint, on my shirt this time. I grabbed the fabric of the shirt and looked at the spot she marked.

"I liked this shirt" I said in a low, husky tone, trying to sound intimidating.

"Come on, Perce, it's plain white and looks like your dad's worn it 100 times. Add some life to it!" she said excitedly.

"I don't want to add life to it. I like. This. Shirt" I said, continuing my act. She bought it.

"Hey, rela-"

"GOTCHA!" I said after I hit her paint, square in the face.

"Oh, you're so on!"

_Annabeth_

"Where is he?" I asked no one in particular, agitated.

Percy hasn't been seen for 2 weeks already, and I'm starting to worry. I tried distracting myself as best I can with books and music. Eventually I fell asleep in front of the TV, but not before I checked my phone for a message or call from Seaweed Brain.

Some hours later I woke up again. As I listened intently there was a sound of faint playing coming from deeper in the studio. I stood up from the couch and noticed Percy's jacket thrown on the other one. I made my way to the recording room and there he was. He was just sitting there, headphones on listening to a track on the computer. I stood there and watched, unaware of how much anger was boiling up inside me.

"Hey" he said as he took his headset off and turned around in his chair.

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked with arms crossed over my chest.

"I've been busy" he said after thinking for a moment.

"Busy?" I retorted.

"I've been meaning to tell you-"

"Then why didn't you?" I snapped and stepped closer to him, "We've all been dying with worry over here and you've been 'busy'? What the hell does that even mean? Is this not important to you?"

His eyes shifted with my last few words. I couldn't exactly point it out, it was faint, but I saw it. I was worried he would snap back at me, but instead he looked to the floor and studied his shoes. He looked around the room, almost helplessly, before turning back to me. Now I could see the emotions clearly. He was pained – hurt.

"You think this isn't important to me?" he asked in a low voice before throwing his hands up in the air, "You know what?" he asked and dashed by me toward the lounge.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked in anger.

"You don't understand after all" he said as he picked up his jacket, "I get it" he added as he put it on.

"I don't know why you're doing this!" I yelled, "Two weeks, Perce! Two weeks! Not a phone call, not even a simple text to say 'Hey, I'm not dead'! I was worried! You make it seem like you don't care about us! Like you don't care about this!"

"This is all I have!" he yelled in my face, in a moment's instant. I wasn't ready for it and I could tell he wasn't either. His eyes flashed with anger but then settled to something more. He took in a deep shaky breathe to try and stabilize. I, on the other hand, didn't know what to feel.

"Just forget it" he said as he turned around and walked to the door.

I grabbed his wrist and turned him around. His eyes were a small shade of red and his face showed discomfort, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing"

"Tell me"

"Forget it" he said in a shaky voice, took his hand from mine, and walked out.

I was left on the couch, devastated, until Piper came and found me.

"Hey" she said and sat next to me, drawing me into her arms, "What's wrong?" she asked.

So I told her. How I was worried, how I snapped, and how Percy looked and how guilty I ended up feeling.

"It's okay. He has been busy. He asked me not to tell anyone until he was ready himself. He wanted to tell you this so badly, but you deserve to know now." She said and pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled to a picture of an amazing, beautiful guitar. A sky blue color, Percy's favorite.

"What is this?" I asked her.

"Keep scrolling through" she said. I hesitated but scrolled through the rest of the pictures. There were some pictures of Percy playing the guitar, but the last one really caught my eye. He was standing with a group of guys, the guitar in one of his hands, all smiling at the camera. The background seemed like a big studio / workshop.

"Did he…"

"Yes. It's his"

"It's so beautiful. I love it"

"He worked on it so hard. And he's so happy with it, he couldn't wait to tell you" Piper said honestly.

"He was waiting to tell me?" I asked her again.

"Of course. He couldn't stop talking about you when he was thinking of ideas." She confirmed for me.

"I have to find him. I need to apologize" I told Piper. She nodded and gave me a hug before I grabbed my own jacket and sprinted to the door.

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><p><strong>AN: Not proud of the ending. I'm terribly sorry this took so long. I've been going through some hard things recently so expect a delay in uploads. **


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